A ZnGeP>(2) (ZGP) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) with wide mid-IR tunability has been demonstrated. The singly resonant angle-tuned ZGP OPO was pumped by 100-ns erbium laser pulses at lambda =2.93mum and yielded output that was continuously tunable from 3.8 to 12.4 mum (type I phase matching) and from 4 to 10 mum (type II phase matching). An OPO pump threshold was less than 1 mJ in the whole 4-12 mum range of the output, and the quantum conversion efficiency reached 35%. An OPO linewidth was typically a few wave numbers; however, with a single intracavity etalon (uncoated Si plate) in a type II OPO it was narrowed to <0.5cm(-1). We demonstrate the sensitive detection of N(2)O gas with the narrow-linewidth OPO.

This is the experimental realization of a silver gallium sulfide (AgGaS2) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) with a wide mid-IR tuning range. The singly resonant angle-tuned AgGaS2 type-II OPO was pumped by 1.06 μm pulses from a nanosecond Nd:YAG laser and yielded idler wave continuously tunable from 3.9 to 11.3 μm with a linewidth of 1 cm−1. The OPO threshold was 0.03 J/cm2 corresponding to sub-MW/cm2 pump intensity and sub-100 μJ pump energy. The slope and absolute quantum conversion efficiencies reached 41% and 22%, respectively.

We present photoluminescence, photoconductivity, and optical absorption spectra for ZnGeP2 crystals grown from the melt by gradient freezing and from the vapor phase by high pressure physical vapor transport (HPVT). A model of donor and acceptor related subbands in the energy gap of ZnGeP2 is introduced that explains the experimental results. The emission with peak position at 1.2 eV is attributed to residual disorder on the cation sublattice. The lower absorption upon annealing is interpreted in terms of both the reduction of the disorder on the cation sublattice and changes in the Fermi level position. The n-type conductivity of ZnGeP2 crystals grown under Ge-deficient conditions by the HPVT is related to the presence of additional donor states.

The effects of 10 MeV fast electron irradiation on conductivity type, resistivity, and optical absorption of CdGeAs2 single crystals were studied. Irradiation of as-grown p-type crystals with a fluence of 1×1017 cm−2 caused compensation of the semiconductor and a marked improvement in the optical transmission. A level of absorption below 0.1 cm−1 at 5⩽λ⩽11 μm was registered. Increase in the fluence to 2×1017 cm−2 led to conversion to n-type, a drop in the resistivity and deterioration of the transmission. Analysis of the absorption in p-type crystals showed that transitions from the V2 and V3 split-off bands to the V1 valence band represent the major absorption mechanism. Splitting energies ΔE2−1=0.15 eV and ΔE3−1=0.35 eV have been calculated. Absorption in n-type crystals increased as λ2.4 indicating absorption by free electrons and their scattering by optical phonons. The effect of irradiation on the optical absorption of CdGeAs2 is assigned to the radiation-induced changes in the compensation level.