Synchronously pumped parametric generation of picosecond light pulses of high spectral quality

An investigation was made of parametric generation of high-quality (τΔν ≤ 1) picosecond light pulses of wavelengths in the range 0.672–2.56 μm by pumping an optical parametric oscillator with a dispersive resonator by the second harmonic of radiation from a cw actively mode-locked and -switched YAG:Nd³⁺ laser. The duration of the parametric oscillation pulses was 15–45 ps and the width of the emission spectrum did not exceed 1 cm ^– 1 throughout the working range of wavelengths. The maximum energy efficiency of the investigated optical parametric oscillator was 8.1%.