A scalable multipass laser cavity based on injection by frequency conversion for noncollective Thomson scattering

A scalable setup using injection by frequency conversion to establish a multipassing cavity for noncollective Thomson scattering on low density plasmas is presented. The cavity is shown to support >10 passes through the target volume with a 400% increase in energy on target versus a single-pass setup. Rayleigh scattering experiments were performed and demonstrate the viability of the cell to study low density plasmas of the order of 10(12)-10(13) cm(-3). A high-repetition, low-energy, single-pass Thomson scattering setup was also performed on the University of California, Los Angeles Large Plasma Device and shows that the multipass cavity could have a significant advantage over the high-repetition approach due to the cavity setup's inherently higher signal per shot.

Linear electro-optic properties of YCa4O(BO3)3

We have characterized the effective linear electro-optic coefficients of YCa4O(BO3)3 (YCOB) relative to KH2PO4 and KD2PO4 at 632.8 nm. We measured a maximum r(eff) value of 10.8 +/- 1.4 pm/V for YCOB in a transverse electric field configuration for propagation along the X or the alpha dielectric axis, with the electric field applied along the Z or the gamma dielectric axis. We also found effective coefficients of 10.7 +/- 1.0 and 3.4 +/- 0.4 pm/V for YCOB in longitudinal configurations. The remaining values of r(eff) for various transverse applied voltages were found to be less than 3 pm/V. The excellent thermomechanical properties of this crystal, coupled with moderate electro-optic coefficients, make YCOB and its isomorphs potential candidates for use as high-average-power electro-optic switches.

Nonlinear optical properties of LaCa(4)O(BO(3))(3)

We have grown LaCa(4)O (BO(3))(3) (LaCOB), an isostructural member of GdCa(4)O(BO(3))(3) (GdCOB) family and characterized its nonlinear optical properties. At 1064nm, d(eff) of 0.52+/-0.05 pm /V and an angular sensitivity of 1224+/-184(cm rad)(-1) for type I frequency doubling in LaCOB were determined relative to those of KTiOPO(4) , beta-BaB(2)O(4) , KD(2)PO(4) , LiB(3)O(5) , YCa(4)O(BO(3))(3) (YCOB), and GdCOB. The d(alphabetabeta) and d(gammabetabeta) coefficients of the nonlinear optical tensor for LaCOB, GdCOB, and YCOB were determined to be equivalent within the experimental uncertainty and have values of ?0.26+/-0.04?pm/V and ?1.69+/-0.17?pm /V , respectively. From phase-matching angle measurements at 1064 and 1047nm, we predict that LaCOB is noncritically phase matched at 1042+/-1.5 nm .

Analysis of an intracavity-doubled diode-pumped Q-switched Nd:YAG laser producing more than 100 W of power at 0.532 microm

A diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser was frequency doubled to 0.532 microm with an intracavity KTiOPO(4) crystal in a V-cavity arrangement, achieving an output power of 140 W. Acousto-optic Q switching was employed at repetition rates of 10-30 kHz, and the beam quality was assessed at M(2) approximately 50. It was deduced on the basis of our model that the strength of the nonlinear frequency conversion is the main parameter determining the pulse width.

L-Histidine tetrafluoroborate: a solution-grown semiorganic crystal for nonlinear frequency conversion

The crystal structure, refractive indices, and phase-matching conditions for a new nonlinear optical material, L-histidine tetrafluoroborate (HFB), are reported. HFB grows readily, displays favorable mechanical characteristics, and has adequate birefringence to permit phase-matched parametric processes over much of its transparency range (250 nm to 1300 nm). The phase-matching loci and angular sensitivity for second-harmonic generation of 1064-nm light in single crystals of HFB were measured. The effective nonlinearity for HFB is comparable with that of beta-barium borate (~2 pm/V), and its angular sensitivity [delta(Deltak)/deltatheta] is somewhat smaller.

Second-harmonic generation in zinc tris(thiourea) sulfate

The linear and second-order nonlinear optical properties of single-crystal zinc tris(thiourea) sulfate, or ZTS, are determined. The deduced nonlinear coefficients are |d(31)| = 0.31, |d(32)| = 0.35, and |d(33)| = 0.23 pm/V compared with a |d(14)| value of 0.39 pm/V for potassium dihydrogen phosphate. Because it exhibits a low angular sensitivity (deltaDeltak/deltatheta), ZTS may prove useful for type-II second-harmonic generation from 1.06 to 1.027 microm. We present the phase-matching measurement data for ZTS and compare the calculated frequency conversion efficiency for ZTS with that of several other well-characterized materials.

Optical absorption at 1.06 microm in highly deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate

We have determined the relationship between residual proton (hydrogen) concentration and optical absorption at 1.06 microm in highly deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP). The proton concentration was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and the absorbance was measured by calorimetry. We obtained a hydrogen concentration dependence of 396 +/- 55 parts in 10(6) (ppm) cm(-1)/% hydrogen for the o- (ordinary-) polarized absorbance at 1.064 microm, and 45 +/- 7 ppm cm(-1)/% hydrogen for the e- (extraordinary) polarization. In addition, the KDP crystals we tested have residual (hydrogen-independent) o- and e-polarized absorbances of 958 +/- 228 ppm cm(-1) and 343 +/- 28 ppm cm(-1), respectively, whose origin is unknown. We also found that the crystal deuterium-hydrogen (D-H) ratio can be related to the D-H ratio of the growth solution by a simple ideal mixture model with a segregation coefficient of 0.684 +/- 0.044.