We present a temperature-dependent Sellmeier equation for the refractive index of stoichiometric LiTaO3. The extraordinary refractive index, for the range 0.39-4.1 microm and for temperatures of 30-200 degrees C, are based on previously published data [Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 41, 465 (2002)] and on measured data derived from quasi-phase-matched (QPM) resonances. We used the new Sellmeier coefficients that we obtained to calculate the QPM wavelengths for an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on periodically poled stoichiometric LiTaO3 pumped at 1064 nm. The measured wavelengths of the OPO were in good agreement with our predictions.

We present a new type of two-dimensional nonlinear structure for quasi-phase matching. This structure has continuous rotational symmetry, and in contrary to the commonly used periodic structures, is not lattice shaped and has no translation symmetry. It is shown that this annular symmetry structure possesses interesting phase matching attributes that are significantly different than those of periodic structures. In particular, it enables simultaneous phase-matched frequency doubling of the same pump into several different directions. Moreover, it has extremely wide phase-mismatch tolerance, since a change in the phase matching conditions does not change the second harmonic power, but only changes its propagation direction. Several structures were fabricated using either the indirect e-beam method in LiNbO(3) or the electric field poling method in stoichiometric LiTaO(3), and their conversion efficiencies, as well as angular and thermal dependencies, were characterized by second harmonic generation.

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The frequency stability of a 1560-nm diode laser, whose second harmonic was locked to (87)Rb sub-Doppler lines, was characterized by measuring the beat frequency relative to a 780-nm reference laser that was locked to sub-Doppler lines of another rubidium cell. The square root of the Allan variance reached a minimum value of 7.5 x 10(-12) in 1 s, which corresponded to frequency variations of 1.44 kHz for the 1560-nm laser. The frequency reproducibility of the system was approximately 1 x 10(-9). These values are better than those that can be achieved by locking to Doppler-broadened transitions at the 1550-nm wavelength band.