Powerful and tunable operation of a 1-2-kHz repetition-rate gain-switched Cr:forsterite laser and its frequency doubling

Phase-matching and femtosecond difference-frequency generation in the quaternary semiconductor AgGaGe5Se12

We present data on the linear (transmission, index of refraction) and nonlinear (second-order susceptibility) optical properties of the quaternary semiconductor AgGaGe5Se12 with orthorhombic symmetry--a solid solution in the AgxGaxGe1-xSe2 system with x = 0.17. The nonlinear coefficients are estimated from phase-matched second-harmonic generation near 3 microm. After numerical analysis of the phase-matching configurations for three-wave nonlinear interactions, the first experimental results on difference-frequency mixing, producing tunable (4-7.5-microm) femtosecond pulses at a 1-kHz repetition rate, are described. The pulses of only five optical cycles (FWHM = 84 fs) are generated near 5 microm with energy of 0.5 microJ. Because of its higher damage threshold, larger birefringence and bandgap, and greater variety of phase-matching schemes, AgGaGe5Se12 could become an alternative to AgGaS2 and AgGaSe2, more widely used in high-power and specific applications.

Broadly tunable continuous-wave orange-red source based on intracavity-doubled Cr4+:forsterite laser

The operation of a room-temperature, continuous-wave, intracavity frequency-doubled Cr4+:forsterite laser capable of producing broadly tunable output in the orange-red region of the electromagnetic spectrum is described. Intracavity doubling was achieved in a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal that had gratings with different periods. Tunable second-harmonic output could be obtained between 613 and 655 nm. At a wavelength of 630 nm, intracavity doubling yielded as much as 45 mW of continuous-wave output. To the author's knowledge, this represents the highest second-harmonic-power generation obtained to date with a continuous-wave Cr4+:forsterite laser.

Femtosecond regenerative amplification in Cr:forsterite

We describe an oscillator-amplifier laser system for the generation of high-power femtosecond pulses near 1.25 microm based on chromium-doped forsterite. Chirped-pulse amplification at a 1-kHz repetition rate raises the pulse energy to >350 microJ. The nearly transform-limited 200-microJ, 135-fs-long recompressed pulses have a peak power of approximately 1.5 GW.