We review the physical properties, linear and nonlinear optical characteristics, and phase-matching configurations of BiB3O6 (BIBO), the first low-symmetry (monoclinic) inorganic nonlinear crystal that has found broad applications for frequency conversion of laser sources from the UV, across the visible, to the near-IR based on three-wave interactions. We describe in detail the most relevant optical properties that make this material an attractive candidate for nonlinear frequency conversion of laser light in general, and ultrafast femtosecond laser sources in particular. With special focus on ultrafast frequency conversion, characteristics such as group-velocity mismatch and spectral acceptance, parametric gain bandwidth, group-velocity dispersion, as well as angular acceptance and spatial walk-off are evaluated and optimum configurations for the attainment of maximum conversion efficiency, minimum pulse duration, and highest spatial beam quality are identified and compared with the most widely established alternative borate crystal, β-BaB2O4. Experimental results are presented on both parametric up-and down-conversion of femtosecond pulses, from the high-energy, low-repetition-rate (1 kHz) to the low-energy, high-repetitionrate (56-76 MHz) regime, demonstrating the unique versatility of BIBO for efficient frequency conversion of femtosecond pulses with broad tunability from 250 nm in the UV, throughout the visible, up to ∼ 3000 nm in the IR.Photograph of a femtosecond synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator (SPOPO) based on BiB3O6 emitting in the yellow region of the spectrum. Pumped near 400 nm in the blue by the second harmonic of a Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser, the SPOPO can generate femtosecond pulses across the full visible range of 480-710 nm, from the blue-green, through to yellow, orange and red.

Efficient generation of tunable femtosecond pulses in the blue is reported in the nonlinear crystal BiB3O6. By use of fundamental pulses from a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser at 76 MHz, single-pass second-harmonic average powers of as much as 830 mW have been generated at 50% conversion efficiency, and a tunable range of 375-435 nm in the blue is demonstrated. Temporal measurements using cross correlation of the fundamental and second-harmonic pulses in a 100-microm-thick beta-BaB2O4 crystal result in blue pulse durations of 220 fs for 130-fs fundamental pulses. Direct experimental comparison with beta-BaB2O4 confirms the superior performance BiB3O6 for second-harmonic generation of femtosecond pulses.

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Nanosecond pulsed laser energy and thermal field evolution during second harmonic generation in periodically poled Li Nb O 3 crystals