Efficient second harmonic conversion of broadband high-peak-power Nd:glass laser radiation using large-aperture KDP crystals in quadrature
Abstract
We have investigated the second harmonic conversion efficiency of broadband Nd:glass laser light (delta nu/c is less than 30/cm FWHM). Using two KDP crystals in a quadrature arrangement we obtained energy conversion efficiencies approximately 55 percent with an initial bandwidth for the fundamental of delta nu/c is approximately 17/cm FWHM. For these conditions, we observed a modest increase (approximately 70 percent) in the harmonic bandwidth (FWHM) relative to the fundamental. The usual theory of three-wave mixing in dispersive birefringent nonlinear crystals is extended to describe the broadband harmonic conversion process; the generalized theory includes the statistical properties of the light and phase mismatch effects on the spectral components in the complex field amplitudes. Good agreement is shown between the code calculations and the measurements.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- June 1989
- Bibcode:
- 1989STIN...8928003P
- Keywords:
-
- Energy Conversion Efficiency;
- Glass Lasers;
- Harmonic Radiation;
- Harmonics;
- Neodymium Lasers;
- Wave Propagation;
- Broadband;
- Crystals;
- Nonlinear Optics;
- Quadratures;
- Lasers and Masers