Tunable visible solid-state lasers based on second-harmonic generation of LiF:F_2^- in potassium titanyl phosphate

Abstract

A new broadly tunable visible solid-state laser is reported. Wavelengths between 550 and 610 nm are generated by intracavity frequency doubling of tuned and free-running room-temperature pulsed LiF:F(2)(-) lasers in potassium titanyl phosphate. Second-harmonic energy of 1.3 mJ has been achieved, corresponding to a fundamental-to-second-harmonic conversion efficiency of 20%. Operation is optimized with respect to LiF:F(2)(-) laser parameters.

Green-Yellow-Orange-Red Spectral Range with Sum-Frequency Generation Using BIBO Crystal Pumped with an Optical Parametric Amplifier

“…Recently, wavelength tunability and intense pulse are needed for industrial manufacturing [5,6], scientific research of medical device fabrication [7], spectroscopy techniques to analyze surfaces and interfaces [8], biological imaging with multiphoton microscopy methodologies [9], time-resolved experiments [10], and many other fundamental applications of modern science. Multi-beam and access to the new spectral region of femtosecond pulses are possible with parametric frequency conversion, ergo ultrafast optical parametric oscillator (OPO) [11], intracavity sum-frequency generation (SFG) of pump and signal in a synchronously pumped femtosecond tunable OPO [12], optical parametric amplifiers (OPA) [13], second and third harmonic generators [14][15][16] or, as we show here, sum-frequency generators.…”

Green-Yellow-Orange-Red Spectral Range with Sum-frequency Generation Using BIBO Crystal Pumped with an Optical Parametric Amplifier

“…Recently, wavelength tunability and intense pulse are needed for industrial manufacturing [5,6], scientific research of medical device fabrication [7], spectroscopy techniques to analyze surfaces and interfaces [8], biological imaging with multiphoton microscopy methodologies [9], time-resolved experiments [10] and many other fundamental applications of modern science. Multi-beam and access to the new spectral region of femtosecond pulses are possible with parametric frequency conversion, ergo ultrafast optical parametric oscillator (OPO) [11], optical parametric amplifiers(OPA) [12], second and third harmonic generators [13][14][15] or, as we show here, sum-frequency generators.…”

Widely tunable yellow-green lasers based on the self-frequency-doubling material Yb:YAB

“…Previously, the best approach used to obtain diode-pumped, cw, tunable visible laser output has been the combination of ytterbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Yb:YAG) and a separate non-linear crystal LiB 3 O 5 , 10 resulting in maximum visible power and a tuning range of 520 mW and 22.4 nm, respectively. Other materials that offer broad tunability in the infrared include Cr:forsterite 11 and LiF:F 2 Ϫ , 12 which when doubled result in tunable visible outputs at 587-654 nm and 550-610 nm, respectively, albeit in both cases in the pulsed regime. Both systems are also three-step processes requiring a relatively high-peakpower 1064-nm laser as a pump source and a separate nonlinear crystal to obtain visible output.…”