Tunable mid-IR parametric conversion system pumped by a high-average-power picosecond Yb:YAG thin-disk laser

Ondřej Novák; Taisuke Miura; Martin Smrž; Jaroslav Huynh; Patricie Severová; Akira Endo; Tomáš Mocek

doi:10.1117/12.2052199

12 May 2014 Tunable mid-IR parametric conversion system pumped by a high-average-power picosecond Yb:YAG thin-disk laser

Ondřej Novák, Taisuke Miura, Martin Smrž, Jaroslav Huynh, Patricie Severová, Akira Endo, Tomáš Mocek

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9135, Laser Sources and Applications II; 91350I (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2052199
Event: SPIE Photonics Europe, 2014, Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

The mid-IR wavelength range has gained increased interest due to its applications in gas sensing, medicine, defense, and others. Optical parametric devices play an important role in the generation of radiation in the mid-IR. Low thermal load of nonlinear crystals promises high average power outputs if powerful pump laser is available. We have developed 75-W average power pump laser operating at 100 kHz repetition rate. The pulses of Yb-fiber laser oscillator at 1030-nm wavelength are stretched by a chirped volume Bragg grating from 5 ps to 180 ps and inserted into a cavity of regenerative amplifier with an Yb:YAG thin-disk. The amplified pulses are compressed by a chirped volume Bragg grating with an 88% efficiency. We have proposed a wavelength conversion system generating picosecond pulses tunable between 2 and 3 μm. The seed signal radiation is acquired by the optical parametric generation in the first nonlinear crystal. Signal pulse energy is increased in the subsequent optical parametric amplifiers. Each amplification stage consists of a crystal pair in the walkoff compensating arrangement. The wavelength of the signal beam is tunable between 1.6 and 2.1 μm. The 2.1 - 3 μm tunable source will be the idler beam taken from the last amplification stage. Calculations show the output power of ten watt can be achieved for 100 W pump. The results of preliminary experiments with seeded optical parametric generation and subsequent amplification are presented and discussed.

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Ondřej Novák, Taisuke Miura, Martin Smrž, Jaroslav Huynh, Patricie Severová, Akira Endo, and Tomáš Mocek "Tunable mid-IR parametric conversion system pumped by a high-average-power picosecond Yb:YAG thin-disk laser", Proc. SPIE 9135, Laser Sources and Applications II, 91350I (12 May 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2052199

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