Novel ultrafast parametric systems: high repetition rate single-pass OPG and fibre-feedback OPO

• Published in: Journal of physics. D, Applied physics Applied physics, 2001-08, Vol.34 (16), p.2433-2439
• Main Authors: Südmeyer, T, Au, J Aus der, Paschotta, R, Keller, U, Smith, P G R, Ross, G W, Hanna, D C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Nonlinear optics; Optical parametric oscillators and amplifiers; Optics; Physics; Ultrafast processes; optical pulse generation and pulse compression
• ISSN: 0022-3727; 1361-6463
• DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/34/16/307

We describe two novel parametric systems for wavelength-tunable ultrashort pulse generation in the spectral range around 1.5 microns. We demonstrate the first single-pass optical parametric generator (OPG) that is directly pumped by a mode-locked laser at the full laser repetition rate of 35 MHz, obtaining up to 500 mW of average signal power with a pulse duration of 300 fs. We also report on a novel type of synchronously pumped high-gain optical parametric oscillator (OPO) with feedback through a single-mode fiber. We compare two fiber-feedback OPO systems, generating multi-watt average signal powers in 10 ps and 800 fs pulses. Both the OPG and the fiber-feedback OPO systems require a high parametric gain, which is achieved in periodically poled nonlinear crystals of LiNbO3 and LiTaO3, pumped with recently developed passively mode-locked all-solid-state lasers with very high average output power. (Author)