Tunable, high-power, narrow-band picosecond IR radiation by optical parametric amplification in KTP
Abstract
We report on an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) based on two potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) crystals in a walk-off compensating geometry. An Nd:YLF regenerative amplifier at a 1-kHz repetition rate serves as the pump source. The seed beam is delivered by a synchronously pumped frequency-stabilized optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN). At pump intensities of about 7 GW/cm2 large amplification factors of more than 104 were achieved, resulting in pulse energies of more than 450 μJ and 350 μJ for the signal and idler pulses, respectively, at a 1-kHz repetition rate. In the saturation regime the time-bandwidth product increases from two to three times the Fourier limit, with a pulse duration of 105 ps and a bandwidth of 12.7 GHz at the highest intensities employed.
- Publication:
-
Applied Physics B: Lasers and Optics
- Pub Date:
- 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s003400200808
- Bibcode:
- 2002ApPhB..74..319F
- Keywords:
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- PACS: 42.65.Re;
- 42.65.Yj;
- 42.72.Ai