Singly-resonant sum frequency generation of visible light in a semiconductor disk laser

Andersen, Martin Thalbitzer; Schlosser, Peter J.; Hastie, Jennifer E.; Tidemand-Lichtenberg, Peter; Dawson, Martin D.; Pedersen, Christian

doi:10.1364/oe.17.006010

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…9 122 In another confi guration for sum-frequency mixing, Andersen et al generated 593 nm emission by focussing the output beam of a 1342 nm Nd:YVO 4 disk laser into periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate (ppKTP) situated within the cavity of an 1064 nm SDL. 128 Up to 20% of the 1342 nm beam was converted to the sum frequency on a single pass. The fi rst demonstration of sum-frequency mixing in an SDL cavity was reported by Härkönen and co-workers using an InGaAs-based SDL gain structure designed for simultaneous oscillation at two wavelengths -986 and 1043 nm.…”

Section: Non-linear Conversionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Semiconductor disk lasers (VECSELs)

Hastie¹,

Calvez²,

Dawson³

2013

Semiconductor Lasers

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Non-linear Conversionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Semiconductor disk lasers (VECSELs)

Hastie¹,

Calvez²,

Dawson³

2013

Semiconductor Lasers

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Also possible is intracavity sum frequency generation in a VECSEL laser with externally injected solid-state laser beam [114]. Using such intracavity difference frequency generation, VECSEL laser becomes a room temperature source of 4-20 mm wavelength mid-to far-infrared radiation.…”

Section: Wavelength Versatility Through Nonlinear Optical Conversionmentioning

confidence: 99%

VECSEL Semiconductor Lasers: A Path to High‐Power, Quality Beam and UV to IR Wavelength by Design

Kuznetsov¹

2010

Semiconductor Disk Lasers

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Since its invention and demonstration in 1960, several types of laser have been developed, such as solid-state, semiconductor, gas, excimer, and dye lasers [1]. Today, lasers are used in a wide range of important applications, particularly in optical fiber communication, optical digital recording (CD, DVD, and Blu-ray), laser materials processing, biology and medicine, spectroscopy, imaging, entertainment, and many others. A number of properties enable the application of lasers in these diverse areas, each application requiring a particular combination of these properties. Some of the most important laser properties are laser emission wavelength; output optical power; method of laser excitation, whether by optical pumping or electrical current injection; laser power consumption and efficiency; high-speed modulation or short pulse generation ability; wavelength tunability; output beam quality; device size; and so on. Thus, optical fiber communication [2], a major application that enables modern Internet, commonly requires lasers with emission wavelengths in the 1.55 mm lowloss band of glass fibers and with single-transverse mode output beams for coupling into single-mode optical fibers. Typically, a given laser type excels in some of these properties, while exhibiting shortcomings in others. For example, by using different material compositions and structures, the most widely used semiconductor diode laser [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] can cover a wide range of wavelengths from the ultraviolet (UV) to the mid-IR, can be advantageously driven by diode current injection, and is very compact and efficient. However, the good beam quality, that is, single-transverse mode nearcircular beam operation, can be typically achieved in semiconductor lasers only for output powers below 1 W. Much higher power levels are achievable from semiconductor lasers only with large aspect ratio highly multimoded poor quality optical beams. On the other hand, the solid-state lasers [13,14], including fiber lasers [15], can emit hundreds of watts of output power with excellent beam quality, however, their emission wavelengths are restricted to discrete values of electronic transitions in ions, such as the classic 1064 nm wavelength of the Nd:YAG laser, making them Semiconductor Disk Lasers. Physics and Technology. Edited by Oleg G. Okhotnikov

show abstract

“…This also means that SFG process can convert two long optical wavelengths to one short wavelength. Based on this principle, much of the frequency up-conversion technology has been developed, enabling the generation of short-wave coherent light [52][53][54][55][56] and the detection of mid-IR optical information using low-noise and less-complex visible/near-IR detectors based on Si and InGaAs [57][58][59][60][61][62]. The SHG process, shown in Figure 2.1(b), is similar to SFG process, where two low-frequency photons combine to create a high-frequency photon.…”

Section: Second-order Nonlinear Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel pulsed optical parametric sources in the mid-infrared and the application towards high-resolution molecular spectroscopy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral region coincides with fundamental rotational-vibrational transitions of a large number of molecules in the gas phase. The strong interaction between mid-IR light sources and these gaseous molecules has enabled experimental investigations of energy-level structures of various molecules and also led to a series of spectroscopic applications in, for example, biomedicine, environmental monitoring, and combustion diagnostics. Nanosecond pulsed optical parametric sources tunable in the mid-IR are versatile tools offering the potential to access different molecular transitions. Their compact size and relatively high pulse energy allow convenient and sensitive detection in various types of spectroscopy. Achievable narrow linewidths close to Fourier transform limit also make it possible to resolve Doppler-limited fine absorption lines and distinguish different species with high selectivity. As such, this thesis aims at the further development of pulsed optical parametric sources in the mid-IR region, employing different nonlinear materials and down-conversion configurations, as well as their application towards high-resolution molecular spectroscopy. We have demonstrated optical parametric generation (OPG) in the newly invented nonlinear crystal, orientation-patterned gallium phosphide (OP-GaP). Pumped by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, the OPG source at 25 kHz repetition rate generates tunable radiation across 1721-1850 nm and 2504-2787 nm. Detailed characterization including temperature tuning, pump transmission, and OPG threshold validated the performance of OP-GaP as the next-generation quasi-phase-matched nonlinear material. Following the development of the OPG, we further successfully demonstrated and characterized a singly-resonant optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on OP-GaP. Driven by the same Nd:YAG laser at 50 kHz repetition rate, the OPO delivers mid-IR idler in the spectral range of 2.8-3.1 µm. Absorption-induced thermal effects in the OP-GaP sample were revealed and studied using different pump power levels. We also demonstrated a stable, pulsed degenerate OPO at 2.1 µm based on MgO:PPLN and pumped by the same Nd:YAG laser with variable repetition rates from 65 kHz to 90 kHz. The OPO, in a Littrow-grating-cavity configuration, can provide up to 2.7 W of degenerate output with good pulse-to-pulse and long-term power stability. The spectral narrowing effect of the grating-cavity was also examined and compared to a plane-mirror linear cavity. Finally, we developed a high-resolution difference-frequency spectrometer in the spectral range of 3308.5-3317.3 nm. The mid-IR source for the spectrometer was based on single-frequency, mode-hop-free tunable, pulsed difference-frequency-generation (DFG) in MgO:PPLN. A part of the methane spectrum in the Q-branch of v3-band was resolved and compared to HITRAN simulation in both atmospheric pressure and reduced pressure. This conceptual technique can be extended to broader mid-IR regions for detecting various other molecules or to higher energy level for nonlinear spectroscopy with high resolution. La región espectral del infrarrojo-medio (mid-IR) coincide con las transiciones rotacional-vibracionales fundamentales de un elevado número de moléculas en la fase gaseosa. La intensa interacción de fuentes de luz del mid-IR con estas moléculas gaseosas ha posibilitado la ejecución de investigaciones experimentales sobre las estructuras de nivel energético de varias moléculas y ha conducido asimismo a una serie de aplicaciones espectroscópicas en ámbitos tales como la biomedicina, la vigilancia ambiental y los diagnósticos de combustión. Las fuentes ópticas paramétricas de pulsos de nanosegundos sintonizables en el mid-IR constituyen herramientas versátiles que brindan el potencial de acceder a diversas transiciones moleculares. Su tamaño compacto y la energía del pulso relativamente alta permiten una detección práctica y de alta sensibilidad en varios tipos de espectroscopia. Las anchuras de línea espectral estrechas alcanzables próximas al límite de la transformada de Fourier también posibilitan la precisión de las delgadas líneas de absorción limitadas por el efecto Doppler y la distinción de diferentes especies con una alta selectividad. De este modo, la presente tesis se centra en el mayor desarrollo de las fuentes ópticas paramétricas de pulsos en la región del mid-IR, mediante la utilización de materiales no lineales y configuraciones de conversión descendente, así como en su aplicación en la espectroscopia molecular de alta resolución. Hemos demostrado la generación óptica paramétrica (OPG) en el cristal no lineal recientemente inventado OP-GaP. Bombeada por un láser Nd:YAG por conmutación Q, la fuente de OPG a una frecuencia de repetición de 25 kHz genera radiación sintonizable a 1721-1850 nm y 2504-2787 nm. Una detallada caracterización mediante ajuste de la temperatura, transparencia de la bomba y umbral de la OPG validó el rendimiento del OP-GaP como material no lineal de cuasi ajuste de fase. Asimismo, tras el desarrollo de la OPG, demostramos y caracterizamos con éxito un Oscilador Paramétrico Óptico (OPO) simplemente resonante basado en el cristal OP-GaP. Bombeado por el mismo láser Nd:YAG con una frecuencia de repetición de 50 kHz, el OPO genera un campo pivote en el mid-IR en el rango espectral de 2,8-3,1µm. Se revelaron y estudiaron los efectos térmicos inducidos por la absorción en la muestra de OP-GaP usando diferentes niveles de potencia de la bomba. También hemos demostrado un OPO degenerado pulsado estable a 2,1 µm basado en un cristal de MgO:PPLN y bombeado por el mismo láser Nd:YAG con frecuencias de repetición variables entre 65 kHz y 90 kHz. El OPO, con la cavidad en configuración Littrow, puede proporcionar hasta 2,7 W de salida degenerada con una estabilidad de pulso y de potencia a largo plazo. También se examinó y comparó el efecto de estrechamiento espectral de la cavidad de rejilla de difracción en relación con una cavidad lineal de espejo plano. Por último, desarrollamos un espectrómetro de diferencia de frecuencias de alta resolución en el rango espectral de 3308,5-3317,3 nm. La fuente de mid-IR para el espectrómetro se basó en una generación diferencia de frecuencias (DFG) sintonizable sin saltos de modo monofrecuencia en el cristal MgO:PPLN. Una parte del espectro de metano en la banda v3 se resolvió y se comparó con la simulación HITRAN tanto a presión atmosférica como presión reducida. Esta técnica conceptual puede extenderse a regiones más amplias del mid-IR para detectar otras moléculas o se puede extender a un nivel energético superior para una espectroscopia no lineal de alta resolución.

show abstract

Singly-resonant sum frequency generation of visible light in a semiconductor disk laser

Cited by 8 publications

References 12 publications

Semiconductor disk lasers (VECSELs)

Semiconductor disk lasers (VECSELs)

VECSEL Semiconductor Lasers: A Path to High‐Power, Quality Beam and UV to IR Wavelength by Design

Novel pulsed optical parametric sources in the mid-infrared and the application towards high-resolution molecular spectroscopy

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About