Optical parametric oscillator of mid-IR, visible and UV ranges with synchronous pumping by a Q-switched mode-locked Nd : YAG laser

The parametric generation in a nonlinear PPLN crystal synchronously pumped by a Q-switched mode-locked Nd : YAG laser with a pulse duration of 45 ps is studied. The output pump intensity in the nonlinear crystal reaches ~10 GW cm^-2. At a pulse repetition rate of 1 kHz, the average output power at the idler wavelength (~3.6 μm) is ~12 mW, the peak power is ~25 kW, and the conversion efficiency (with respect to the absorbed power) is ~10%. The radiation linewidth at the signal wavelength (~1.5 μm) is 13 cm^-1. Along with the signal and idler waves, the output emission spectrum contains lines at wavelengths of 822, 754, 624, 532, 463, 442, 392 and 355 nm. The tunable radiation with wavelengths in the vicinity of 392, 463 and 822 nm is observed for the first time. The tuning ranges for the new lines are measured (5 – 10 nm) and their origin is explained.