Optical Parametric Oscillator within 2.4–4.3 μm Pumped with a Nanosecond Nd:YAG Laser

D. B. Kolker, R. V. Pustovalova, M. K. Starikova, A. I. Karapuzikov, A. A. Karapuzikov, O. M. Kuznetsov, and Yu. V. Kistenev

Abstract

An optical parametric oscillator has been designed on the basis of MgO:PPLN periodic structure. A compact nanosecond Nd:YAG laser has been used as a pump source at 1.053 μm. The pump pulse length is 5–7 ns at a maximum pulse energy of 300 μJ and a frequency of 1000–5000 Hz. The oscillation threshold is 22 μJ at 3 μm and 48 μJ at 4.3 μm. The maximum conversion efficiency from incident pump power to the idler output is 3.9%.