Continuous-wave seeded mid-IR parametric system pumped by the high-average-power picosecond Yb:YAG thin-disk laser

Ondřej Novák; Martin Smrž; Taisuke Miura; Hana Turčičová; Akira Endo; Tomáš Mocek

doi:10.1117/12.2178747

18 May 2015 Continuous-wave seeded mid-IR parametric system pumped by the high-average-power picosecond Yb:YAG thin-disk laser

Ondřej Novák, Martin Smrž, Taisuke Miura, Hana Turčičová, Akira Endo, Tomáš Mocek

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9503, Nonlinear Optics and Applications IX; 95030W (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2178747
Event: SPIE Optics + Optoelectronics, 2015, Prague, Czech Republic

Abstract

Mid-IR wavelength range offers variety of interesting applications. Down-conversion in the optical parametric devices is promising to generate high average power mid-IR beam due to inherently low thermal load of the nonlinear crystals if a powerful and high quality pump beam is available. We developed 100 kHz pump laser of 100-W level average power. The stretched pulses of Yb-fiber laser oscillator at 1030 nm wavelength are injected into the regenerative amplifier with an Yb:YAG thin-disk. Diode pumping at zero phonon line at wavelength of 969 nm significantly reduces its thermal load and increases conversion efficiency and stability. We obtained the beam with power of 80 W and 2 ps compressed pulsewidth.

We are developing a watt level mid-IR picosecond light source pumped by a beam of the thin disk regenerative amplifier. Part of the beam pumps PPLN, which is seeded by a continuous wave laser diode at 1.94 μm to decrease the generation threshold and determine the amplified spectrum. The 3 W pumping gave output of 30 mW, which is by up to two orders higher compared to unseeded operation. The gain of about 10⁷ was achieved in the PPLN in the temporal window of the pump pulse. The spectrum and beam of the generated idler pulses in the mid-IR was measured. We obtained an amplified signal from the second stage with the KTP crystal. We expect watt level mid-IR output for initial 50-W pumping. The generation of longer wavelengths is discussed.

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Ondřej Novák, Martin Smrž, Taisuke Miura, Hana Turčičová, Akira Endo, and Tomáš Mocek "Continuous-wave seeded mid-IR parametric system pumped by the high-average-power picosecond Yb:YAG thin-disk laser", Proc. SPIE 9503, Nonlinear Optics and Applications IX, 95030W (18 May 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2178747

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