Intra-cavity optical parametric oscillator

摘要

An optical parametric oscillator comprising: an optical cavity; a semiconductor gain-medium located within the optical cavity, such that together they form a semiconductor laser, and a nonlinear material located within the cavity such that the nonlinear material continuously generates down-converted idler- and signal-waves in response to a pump-wave continuously generated by the semiconductor gain-medium, wherein the pump wave is resonant within the optical cavity and one or other but not both of the down-converted waves is resonant within the pump wave cavity or a further optical cavity. Brewster plates ensure singly resonant optical parametric oscillators and a birefringent filer is used for frequency setting. Coupled cavities allow for setting the photon lifetime in the cavity that relaxation oscillations are prevented.

主权项

1. A method for reducing relaxation oscillations in a singly-resonant continuous-wave intra-cavity optical parametric oscillator that has a gain-medium for generating a pump-wave within a pump-wave cavity and a nonlinear medium for generating a down-converted radiation, the method comprising:
selecting or modifying the gain-medium such that a lifetime τu of its upper laser state, in an absence of stimulated emission, is of an order equal to or less than a smaller of either: (i) a lifetime τp of the pump-wave in the pump-wave cavity, or (ii) a lifetime τs of a component of the down-converted radiation that is resonant in a cavity of the optical parametric oscillator, and
operating the intra-cavity optical parametric oscillator using the selected or modified gain-medium to thereby dampen relaxation oscillations, such that relaxation oscillations in the continuous-wave-singly resonate intra-cavity optical parametric oscillator are reduced.