Tunable, high-power, high-order optical vortex beam generation in the mid-infrared

We report the generation of tunable high-order optical vortices in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) using a picosecond optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The OPO is based on MgO:PPLN as the nonlinear gain medium and synchronously pumped by a mode-locked Yb-fiber laser at 1064 nm. Using a singly-resonant oscillator configuration for the OPO, we have achieved direct transfer of pump optical vortices to the non-resonant idler beam, with the resonant signal in the Gaussian cavity mode. We demonstrate the successful transfer of pump optical vortices of order, l_p= 1 to 5, to the idler beam of the same order across the mid-IR, with an output power of 630 mW to 130 mW across 2538 nm to 4035 nm for the highest idler vortex order, l_i= 5. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an OPO pumped by a vortex beam of order as high as l_p= 5 and generating idler vortices of high order in the mid-IR.

Tunable vortex beam generation using an optical parametric oscillator with an antiresonant-ring interferometer

We report a high-average-power picosecond optical vortex source tunable in the near-infrared, using an antiresonant-ring (ARR) interferometer internal to an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) in combination with an external cylindrical lens for astigmatic mode conversion. The ARR OPO is tunable in the signal across 1457-1647 nm with a vortex intensity profile and up to 1 W of average power at 1602 nm. The corresponding idler is tunable over 3006-3945 nm in a Gaussian intensity profile with as much as 1.6 W at 3168 nm. The vortex signal and the Gaussian idler exhibit passive power stability better than 1.7% rms and 1.3% rms, respectively, over >1h. The signal pulses have a Gaussian duration of <19ps with a time-bandwidth product of ΔτΔν<3.6 across the tuning range.

Nonlinear frequency conversion of 3D optical bottle beams generated using a single axicon

We demonstrate a novel experimental scheme to generate and study the nonlinear frequency conversion of a three-dimensional (3D) optical Bessel bottle beam (BBB). Using a single axicon and standard optical components and controlling the spot size and divergence of the input Gaussian beam to the axicon, we have generated stable micron-size, high-power optical BBB with tunable spatial characteristics. The BBB has a series of low-intensity regions surrounded by high intensity with diameters of ∼30µm and 17 µm, respectively, at a variable period of 2.3 to 6.4 mm along with the beam propagation. Using the single-pass second harmonic generation (SHG) of femtosecond BBB at 1064 nm in a bismuth triborate nonlinear crystal, we have generated BBB at 532 nm with output power as high as 75 mW and single-pass SHG efficiency of 1.9%. We also observed the self-healing of the BBB at both pump and SHG wavelengths. It is interesting to note that the pump beam truncation shows self-healing in the SHG beam. Such observation proves the direct transfer of the pump's spatial characteristics to the SHG beam in the nonlinear process, potentially useful for imaging even in the turbid medium in biology. This generic scheme can be used at different wavelengths and timescales (continuous-wave to ultrafast).

Watt-level, ultrafast, tunable yellow source based on single-pass, fourth-harmonic generation of Cr2+:ZnS laser at 2360 nm

We report a compact source of high power, tunable, ultrafast yellow radiation using fourth-harmonic generation of a mid-IR laser in two-stage frequency-doubling processes. Using Cr²⁺:ZnS laser at 2360 nm frequency-doubled in a multi-grating MgO:PPLN crystal, we have generated near-IR radiation tunable across 1137-1200 nm with average output power as high as 2.4 W and pulse width of ∼60fs. Subsequently, the near-IR radiation is frequency-doubled using a bismuth triborate (BIBO) crystal to produce coherent yellow radiation tunable across 570-596 nm with a maximum average power of ∼1W. The source has a maximum mid-IR to yellow (near-IR to yellow) single-pass conversion efficiency as high as ∼29.4% (∼47%). Without any pulse compression, the yellow source has output pulses at a repetition rate of 80 MHz with a pulse width of ∼130fs in Gaussian-shaped and a spectral width of ∼4nm corresponding to a time-bandwidth product of 0.45. The generated output beam has a Gaussian transverse beam profile with measured M² values of Mx2∼1.07 andMy2∼1.01.

Multi-structured-beam optical parametric oscillator

Structured beams, conventionally generated through the spatial mode conversion of the Gaussian laser beams, have attracted great interest in recent years. Optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) have demonstrated the potential for the generation of tunable structured beams directly from an input pump source. However, to date, a particular OPO design has been shown to produce such beams only in a specific configuration and different spatial structured beams require different system architectures. Here, we report the generation of multiple-structured beams from a single OPO device. Using a vortex-beam-pumped ultrafast OPO in singly-resonant oscillator design and through the control of the mode structure of the resonant beam using a simple intracavity aperture, we generate vortex, Airy, vortex Airy, and Gaussian signal beams over a tunable wavelength range across 1457-1680 nm, simultaneous with vortex beam in the non-resonant idler across 2902-3945 nm, from different ports of the device. The signal and idler vortices have output power in excess of 1 W and maximum vortex order of l_i=2, while the Airy beam and vortex Airy beam have output power of more than 200 mW. The generic experimental design can be used to provide multi-structured spatial beams with broad tunability across different spectral regions by proper selection of pump laser and nonlinear material and in all times-scales from continuous-wave to ultrafast femtosecond domain.

Tunable ultraviolet vortex source based on a continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator

We report a continuous-wave (cw) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) generating optical vortices tunable in the ultraviolet (UV). Based on MgO:sPPLT as the nonlinear crystal, the singly resonant OPO is pumped by a cw vortex beam in the green, and deploying intracavity sum-frequency generation (SFG) between the undepleted pump and the Gaussian resonant signal in the crystal of BiB₃O₆, it can generate optical vortices of order, l_uv=1 and 2, tunable across 332-344 nm in the UV with a maximum power of 12 mW. Due to conservation of orbital angular momentum in the parametric process, the OPO also produces a non-resonant idler output beam in a vortex spatial profile of order l_i=1 and 2, identical to the pump vortex, with the signal beam in Gaussian distribution. The idler vortex is tunable across 1172-1338 nm with maximum output power of 1.3 W.

Single-pass, second-harmonic generation of high-power, ultrafast mid-IR Cr2+:ZnS laser at 2360 nm

We report on a compact and simple ultrafast source producing tunable radiation in the near-IR wavelength range. Based on single-pass frequency doubling of an ultrafast Cr²⁺:ZnS laser at 2360 nm with pulse width of 43 fs at a repetition rate of 80 MHz in MgO:PPLN crystal, the source produces maximum average output power of ∼2.43  W tunable across 1137-1200 nm with a maximum single-pass conversion efficiency as high as 65%. Without use of any pulse compression technique, the source produces output pulses in Gaussian shape with measured pulse width of ∼60  fs and spectral width of 39 nm centered at 1180 nm corresponding to a time-bandwidth product of 0.5. The output beam has a Gaussian spatial profile with measured M²<1.32 and a peak-to-peak power fluctuation of 3% over 2 h. Using MgO:PPLN crystal of two different lengths, 1 mm and 2 mm, we have observed that the optimum second-harmonic generation efficiency of an ultrafast pulse laser, even in the presence of temporal walk-off, appears in the low pump focusing condition.

Controlled generation of vortex and vortex dipole from a Gaussian pumped optical parametric oscillator

We report on direct generation of optical vortices from a continuous-wave (cw), Gaussian beam pumped doubly resonating optical parametric oscillator (DRO). Using a 30-mm long MgO doped periodically poled lithium tantalate (MgO:sPPLT) crystal based DRO, pumped in the green by a frequency-doubled Yb-fiber laser in Gaussian spatial profile we have generated signal and idler beams in vortex mode of order, l = 1, tunable across 970-1178 nm. Controlling the overlap between the Gaussian pump beam with the fundamental cavity mode of the resonant signal and idler beams of the DRO through the tilt of the pump beam and/or the cavity mirror in transverse plane, we have generated both signal and idler beams in vortex and vortex dipole spatial profiles. Using the theoretical formalism for the vortex beam generation through the superposition of two Gaussian beams we have numerically calculated the spatial profile of the generated beam in close agreement with our experiment results. The generic experimental scheme can be used to generate optical vortex across the electromagnetic spectrum and in all time scales (cw to ultrafast) using suitable OPO.

Simultaneous generation of high-power, ultrafast 1D and 2D Airy beams and their frequency-doubling characteristics

We report on a simple experimental scheme based on a pair of cylindrical lenses (convex and concave) of the same focal length and common optical elements, producing high power optical beams in 1D and/or 2D Airy intensity profiles with laser polarization as the control parameter. Using an ultrafast Yb-fiber laser at 1064 nm of average power of 5 W in a Gaussian spatial profile and pulse width of ∼180  fs, we have generated 1D and 2D Airy beams at an efficiency of 80% and 70%, respectively, and a pulse width of ∼188 and ∼190  fs, respectively. We have measured the transverse deflection rate of 1D and 2D beams to be ∼5.0×10^-5 1/mm and ∼2.0×10^-5 1/mm, respectively. Simply rotating the polarization state of the 1D cubic phase modulated beam in the experiment, we can produce 1D and 2D Airy beams on demand. Using a 5 mm long bismuth borate (BiB₃O₆), we have also studied frequency-doubling characteristics of both 1D and 2D Airy beams. Like the 2D Airy beam, the 1D Airy beam also produces a frequency-doubled 1D Airy and an additional 1D spatial cubic structure. Like the Gaussian beams, we have observed the focusing dependence of conversion efficiency for both 1D and 2D Airy beams, producing green 1D and 2D Airy beams of output powers in excess of 110 and 150 mW for 3.4 and 2.8 W of fundamental power, respectively.

Orbital angular momentum exchange in a picosecond optical parametric oscillator

We report on the orbital angular momentum (OAM) exchange among the interacting beams in an ultrafast optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The singly-resonant OPO is synchronously pumped by a picosecond vortex beam from a frequency-doubled Yb-fiber laser at 532 nm in the green. We demonstrate successful transfer of the pump OAM mode to the non-resonant idler beam tunable across 1109-1209 nm, with OAM as high as l_p=3. Controlling the cavity loss and spatial overlap between the resonant signal and the pump beam in the nonlinear crystal, we have generated signal and idler OAM mode combinations, (l_s,l_i) of (0,2) and (1,1), and (0,3) and (1,2) for pump OAM mode l_p=2 and 3, respectively. Using a pump power of 1 W, we have generated idler OAM mode of orders, l_i=1, 2, and 3, with maximum output powers of 202, 113, and 57 mW, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on controlled generation of OAM modes from an ultrafast OPO.

On-axis intensity modulation-free, segmented, zero-order Bessel beams with tunable ranges

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel experimental scheme to generate high on-axis peak intensity, segmented, smooth, zero-order quasi-Bessel beams with tunable ranges. Illuminating the axicon with hollow Gaussian beams (HGBs) of different orders, we have generated Bessel beams of varying ranges at different positions away from the axicon. The presence of a dark core at the center of the HGBs removes the effect of imperfection in the axicon tip. As a result, the entire power of the input beam is transformed into a zero-order Bessel beam without any on-axis intensity modulation. We observe the decrease in range and increase in on-axis peak intensity of the zero-order Bessel beam with the order of HGBs. Controlling the superposition of the HGBs of different orders to the axicon, we have demonstrated the increase in the range of the Bessel beam. The current technique can also produce Bessel beams of different intensity distributions, including single-peak or multiple-peak Bessel beams. Using single-pass second-harmonic generation in nonlinear crystals of different lengths, we have further verified the increase of on-axis peak intensity of the Bessel beam with the order of the HGBs and the increase in the range of the Bessel beam due to the superposed HGBs.

High-power, continuous-wave, tunable mid-IR, higher-order vortex beam optical parametric oscillator

We report on a novel experimental scheme to generate continuous-wave (cw), high-power, and higher-order optical vortices tunable across a mid-IR wavelength range. Using a cw, two-crystal, singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (T-SRO) and pumping one of the crystals with a Gaussian beam and the other crystal with optical vortices of orders l_p=1-6, we have directly transferred the vortices at near-IR to the mid-IR wavelength range. The idler vortices of orders l_i=1-6 are tunable across 2276-3576 nm with a maximum output power of 6.8 W at an order of l_i=1 for the pump power of 25 W, corresponding to a near-IR vortex to mid-IR vortex conversion efficiency as high as 27.2%. Unlike the SROs generating optical vortices restricted to lower orders (≤2) due to the elevated operation threshold of SROs with higher-order pump vortices, here the coherent energy coupling between the resonant signals of two crystals of T-SRO facilitates the transfer of pump vortex of any order to the idler wavelength without a stringent operation threshold condition. The generic experimental scheme can be used in any wavelength range across the electromagnetic spectrum and in all timescales, from cw to ultrafast regimes.

Robust, high brightness, degenerate entangled photon source at room temperature

We report on a compact, simple and robust high brightness entangled photon source at room temperature. Based on a 30-mm-long periodically-poled potassium titanyl phosphate crystal, the source produces non-collinear, type-0, phase-matched, degenerate photons at 810 nm with spectral brightness as high as ~0.41 ± 0.02 (~0.025 ± 0.02) MHz/mW/nm for multi (single) mode fiber coupling. So far, this is the highest number of degenerate photons generated using a continuous-wave laser pumped bulk crystal and detected using multimode fiber. We have studied the dependence of pump focusing on the brightness of the generated photons collected using both multimode, and single mode fibers. For a fixed pump power and crystal parameters, the SPDC source has an optimum pump waist radius producing maximum number of paired photons. Combining the crystal in a novel system architecture comprised with Sagnac interferometer and polarizing optical elements, the source produces polarization entangled photon states with high spectral brightness. Even in the absence of any phase compensation, the entangled photon states detected using single mode fiber have a Bell's parameter, S = 2.63 ± 0.02, violating the Bell's inequality by nearly 32 standard deviations and fidelity of 0.975. The compact footprint, robust design, and room temperature operation, make our source ideal for various quantum communication experiments.

Continuous-wave, singly resonant parametric oscillator-based mid-infrared optical vortex source

We report on a high-power, continuous-wave source of optical vortices tunable in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelength range. Using the orbital angular momentum (OAM) conservation of the parametric processes and the threshold conditions of the cavity modes of the singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (SRO), we have transferred the OAM of the pump beam at the near-infrared wavelength to the idler beam tunable in the mid-IR. Pumped with a vortex beam of order l_p=1 at 1064 nm, the SRO, configured in a four curved mirror-based ring cavity with a 50 mm long MgO-doped periodically poled LiNbO₃ crystal, produces an idler beam with an output power in excess of 2 W in a vortex spatial profile with the order l_i=1, tunable across 2217-3574 nm and corresponding signal beam in Gaussian intensity distribution across 1515-2046 nm. For pump vortices of the order l_p=1 and 2, and a power of 22 W, the SRO produces idler vortices of the same order as that of the pump beam with a maximum power of 5.23 and 2.3 W, corresponding to near-IR to mid-IR vortex conversion efficiency of 23.8% and 10.4%, respectively. The idler vortex beam has a spectral width, and a passive rms power stability of 101 MHz and 4.9% over 2 h, respectively.

Direct transfer of classical non-separable states into hybrid entangled two photon states

Hybrid entangled states, having entanglement between different degrees-of-freedom (DoF) of a particle pair, are of great interest for quantum information science and communication protocols. Among different DoFs, the hybrid entangled states encoded with polarization and orbital angular momentum (OAM) allow the generation of qubit-qudit entangled states, macroscopic entanglement with very high quanta of OAM and improvement in angular resolution in remote sensing. Till date, such hybrid entangled states are generated by using a high-fidelity polarization entangled states and subsequent imprinting of chosen amount of OAM using suitable mode converters such as spatial light modulator in complicated experimental schemes. Given that the entangled sources have feeble number of photons, loss of photons during imprinting of OAM using diffractive optical elements limits the use of such hybrid states for practical applications. Here we report, on a simple generic experimental scheme to generate hybrid entangled states in polarization and OAM through direct transfer of classical non-separable states of the pump beam in parametric down conversion process. As a proof of principle, using local non-separable pump states of OAM mode l = 3, we have produced quantum hybrid entangled states with entanglement witness parameter of ~1.25 ± 0.03 violating by 8 standard deviation.

High power, high repetition rate, tunable broadband mid-IR source based on single-pass optical parametric generation of a femtosecond laser

We report on single-pass optical parametric generation for high power, high repetition rate (RR), ultrafast broadband optical radiation in the mid-IR. Taking advantage of broad phase-matching bandwidth (BW) of the crystals for the interacting waves having zero group velocity mismatch, we have used a 50 mm long MgO-doped periodically poled LiNbO₃ crystal to develop a single-pass, parametric source producing femtosecond output pulses at a RR of 78 MHz. Pumping with a femtosecond Yb-fiber laser at 1064 nm, the source produces signal and idler radiation tunable across 1422-1561 nm and 4229-3342 nm, respectively. The signal radiation has a pulse and spectral BW of 296 fs and 9.2 nm centered at 1492 nm, respectively, with a time-BW product ∼0.37, close to the transform limit. The idler radiation has spectral BW as high as 123 nm centered at 3709 nm. The source produces a signal (idler) beam of power of 2.07 W (0.54 W) at 1492 nm (3709 nm) in a Gaussian spatial profile with peak-to-peak passive power fluctuation better than 5% (4%) over 4 h at a single-pass conversion efficiency as high as ∼55%.

Multi-gigahertz, femtosecond Airy beam optical parametric oscillator pumped at 78 MHz

We report a high power ultrafast Airy beam source producing femtosecond pulses at multi-gigahertz (GHz) repetition rate (RR). Based on intra-cavity cubic phase modulation of an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) designed in high harmonic cavity configuration synchronous to a femtosecond Yb-fiber laser operating at 78 MHz, we have produced ultrafast 2D Airy beam at multi-GHz repetition rate through the fractional increment in the cavity length. While small (<1 mm) crystals are used in femtosecond OPOs to take the advantage of broad phase-matching bandwidth, here, we have exploited the extended phase-matching bandwidth of a 50-mm long Magnesium-oxide doped periodically poled LiNbO₃ (MgO:PPLN) crystal for efficient generation of ultrafast Airy beam and broadband mid-IR radiation. Pumping the MgO:PPLN crystal of grating period, Λ = 30 μm and crystal temperature, T = 100 °C using a 5-W femtosecond laser centred at 1064 nm, we have produced Airy beam radiation of 684 mW in ~639 fs (transform limited) pulses at 1525 nm at a RR of ~2.5 GHz. Additionally, the source produces broadband idler radiation with maximum power of 510 mW and 94 nm bandwidth at 3548 nm in Gaussian beam profile. Using an indirect method (change in cavity length) we estimate maximum RR of the Airy beam source to be ~100 GHz.

Ultrafast Airy beam optical parametric oscillator

We report on the first realization of an ultrafast Airy beam optical parametric oscillator (OPO). By introducing intracavity cubic phase modulation to the resonant Gaussian signal in a synchronously-pumped singly-resonant OPO cavity and its subsequent Fourier transformation, we have generated 2-dimensional Airy beam in the output signal across a 250 nm tuning range in the near-infrared. The generated Airy beam can be tuned continuously from 1477 to 1727 nm, providing an average power of as much as 306 mW at 1632 nm in pulses of ~23 ps duration with a spectral bandwidth of 1.7 nm.

Ultrafast optical vortex beam generation in the ultraviolet

We report on the generation of ultrafast vortex beams in the deep ultraviolet (DUV) wavelength range at 266 nm, for the first time to our knowledge. Using a Yb-fiber-based green source in combination with two spiral phase plates of orders 1 and 2, we were able to generate picosecond Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams at 532 nm. Subsequently, these LG beams were frequency doubled by single-pass, second-harmonic generation in a 10 mm-long β-BaB₂O₄ crystal to generate ultrafast vortex beams at 266 nm with a vortex order as high as 12, providing up to 383 mW of DUV power at a single-pass, green-to-DUV conversion efficiency of 5.2%. The generated picosecond UV vortex beam has a spectral width of 1.02 nm with a passive power stability better than 1.2% rms over >1.5  h.

Efficient nonlinear generation of high power, higher order, ultrafast "perfect" vortices in green

We report on efficient nonlinear generation of ultrafast, higher order "perfect" vortices at the green wavelength. Based on Fourier transformation of the higher order Bessel-Gauss (BG) beam generated through the combination of the spiral phase plate and axicon, we have transformed the Gaussian beam of the ultrafast Yb-fiber laser at 1060 nm into perfect vortices of power 4.4 W and order up to 6. Using single-pass second-harmonic generation (SHG) of such vortices in 5 mm long chirped MgO-doped, periodically poled congruent LiNbO₃ crystal, we have generated perfect vortices at green wavelength (530 nm) with output power of 1.2 W and vortex order up to 12 at a single-pass conversion efficiency of 27%, independent of the orders. This is the highest single-pass SHG efficiency of any optical beams other than Gaussian beams. Unlike the disintegration of higher order vortices due to spatial walk-off effect in birefringent crystals, here, the use of the quasi-phase-matching process enables generation of high-quality vortices, even at higher orders. The green perfect vortices of all orders have temporal and spectral widths of 507 fs and 1.9 nm, respectively, corresponding to a time-bandwidth product of 1.02.

Generation of "perfect" vortex of variable size and its effect in angular spectrum of the down-converted photons

The "perfect" vortex is a new class of optical vortex beam having ring radius independent of its topological charge (order). One of the simplest techniques to generate such beams is the Fourier transformation of the Bessel-Gauss beams. The variation in ring radius of such vortices require Fourier lenses of different focal lengths and or complicated imaging setup. Here we report a novel experimental scheme to generate perfect vortex of any ring radius using a convex lens and an axicon. As a proof of principle, using a lens of focal length f = 200 mm, we have varied the radius of the vortex beam across 0.3-1.18 mm simply by adjusting the separation between the lens and axicon. This is also a simple scheme to measure the apex angle of an axicon with ease. Using such vortices we have studied non-collinear interaction of photons having orbital angular momentum (OAM) in spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) process and observed that the angular spectrum of the SPDC photons are independent of OAM of the pump photons rather depends on spatial profile of the pump beam. In the presence of spatial walk-off effect in nonlinear crystals, the SPDC photons have asymmetric angular spectrum with reducing asymmetry at increasing vortex radius.

High-power, high-repetition-rate, Yb-fiber laser based femtosecond source at 355 nm

We report on the development of a high-power, high-repetition-rate, fiber laser based source of ultrafast ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Using single-pass second-harmonic generation and subsequent sum-frequency generation (SFG) of an ultrafast ytterbium fiber at 1064 nm in 1.2 and 5 mm long bismuth triborate (BIBO) crystals, respectively, we have generated UV output power as high as 1.06 W at 355 nm with single-pass near-infrared-to-UV conversion efficiency of ∼22%. The source has output pulses of temporal and spectral widths of ∼576  fs and 1.6 nm, respectively, at 78 MHz repetition rate. For given crystals and laser parameters, we have experimentally verified that the optimum conversion efficiency of the SFG process requires interacting pump beams to have the same confocal parameters. We also present a systematic study on the power ratio of pump beams influencing the overall conversion of the UV radiation. The UV source has a peak-to-peak short-term power fluctuation of <2.2%, with a power drift of 0.76%/h associated to different loss mechanisms of the BIBO crystal at UV wavelengths. At tight focusing, the BIBO crystal has a broad angular acceptance bandwidth of (∼2  mrad·cm) for SFG of the femtosecond laser.

Frequency-doubling characteristics of high-power, ultrafast vortex beams

We report on frequency-doubling characteristics of high-power, ultrafast optical vortex beams in a nonlinear medium. Based on single-pass second-harmonic generation (SHG) of optical vortices in 1.2 mm long bismuth triborate (BIBO) crystal, we studied the effect of different parameters influencing the SHG process in generating high-power and higher-order vortices. We observed a decrease in SHG efficiency with the order, which can be attributed to the increase of the vortex beam area with order. Like a Gaussian beam, optical vortices show focusing-dependent conversion efficiency. However, under similar experimental conditions, the optimum focusing condition for optical vortices is reached at tighter focusing with orders. We observed higher angular acceptance bandwidth in the case of optical vortices than that of a Gaussian beam; however, there is no substantial change in angular acceptance bandwidth with vortex order. We also observed that in the frequency-doubling process, the topological charge has negligible or no effect in temporal and spectral properties of the beams. We have generated ultrafast vortices at 532 nm with power as much as 900 mW and order as high as 12. In addition, we have devised a novel scheme based on linear optical elements to double the order of any optical vortex at the same wavelength.

All-periodically poled, high-power, continuous-wave, single-frequency tunable UV source

We report on experimental demonstration of an all-periodically poled, continuous-wave (CW), high-power, single-frequency, ultra-violet (UV) source. Based on internal second-harmonic-generation (SHG) of a CW singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pumped in the green, the UV source provides tunable radiation across 398.94-417.08 nm. The compact source comprising of a 25-mm-long MgO-doped periodically poled stoichiometric lithium tantalate (MgO:sPPLT) crystal of period Λ(SLT)=8.5  μm for OPO and a 5-mm-long, multi-grating (Λ(KTP)=3.3, 3.4, 3.6 and 3.8 μm), periodically poled potassium titanium phosphate (PPKTP) for intra-cavity SHG, provides as much as 336 mW of UV power at 398.94 nm, corresponding to a green-to-UV conversion efficiency of ∼6.7%. In addition, the singly resonant OPO (SRO) provides 840 mW of idler at 1541.61 nm and substantial signal power of 108 mW at 812.33 nm transmitted through the high reflective cavity mirrors. UV source provides single-frequency radiation with instantaneous line-width of ∼18.3  MHz and power >100  mW in Gaussian beam profile (ellipticity >92%) across the entire tuning range. Access to lower UV wavelengths requires smaller grating periods to compensate high phase-mismatch resulting from high material dispersion in the UV wavelength range. Additionally, we have measured the normalized temperature and spectral acceptance bandwidth of PPKTP crystal in the UV wavelength range to be ∼2.25°C·cm and ∼0.15  nm·cm, respectively.

Type-I frequency-doubling characteristics of high-power, ultrafast fiber laser in thick BIBO crystal

We report on experimental realization of optimum focusing condition for type-I second-harmonic generation (SHG) of high-power, ultrafast laser in "thick" nonlinear crystal. Using single-pass, frequency doubling of a 5 W Yb-fiber laser of pulse width ~260 fs at repetition rate of 78 MHz in a 5-mm-long bismuth triborate (BIBO) crystal we observed that the optimum focusing condition is more dependent on the birefringence of the crystal than its group-velocity mismatch (GVM). A theoretical fit to our experimental results reveals that even in the presence of GVM, the optimum focusing condition matches the theoretical model of Boyd and Kleinman, predicted for continuous-wave and long-pulse SHG. Using a focusing factor of ξ=1.16 close to the estimated optimum value of ξ=1.72 for our experimental conditions, we generated 2.25 W of green radiation of pulse width 176 fs with single-pass conversion efficiency as high as 46.5%. Our study also verifies the effect of pulse narrowing and broadening of angular phase-matching bandwidth of SHG at tighter focusing. This study signifies the advantage of SHG in "thick" crystal in controlling SH-pulse width by changing the focusing lens while accessing high conversion efficiency and broad angular phase-matching bandwidth.

High-power, continuous-wave, solid-state, single-frequency, tunable source for the ultraviolet

We report the development of a compact, high-power, continuous-wave, single-frequency, ultraviolet (UV) source with extended wavelength tunability. The device is based on single-pass, intracavity, second-harmonic-generation (SHG) of the signal radiation of a singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (SRO) working in the visible and near-IR wavelength range. The SRO is pumped in the green with a 25-mm-long, multigrating, MgO doped periodically poled stoichiometric lithium tantalate (MgO:sPPLT) as nonlinear crystal. Using three grating periods, 8.5, 9.0, and 9.5 μm of the MgO:sPPLT crystal and a single set of cavity mirrors, the SRO can be tuned continuously across 710.7-836.3 nm in the signal and corresponding idler across 2115.8-1462.1 nm with maximum idler power of 1.9 W and maximum out-coupled signal power of 254 mW. By frequency-doubling the intracavity signal with a 5-mm-long bismuth borate (BIBO) crystal, we can further tune the SRO continuously over 62.8 nm across 355.4-418.2 nm in the UV with maximum single-frequency UV power, as much as 770 mW at 398.28 nm in a Gaussian beam profile. The UV radiation has an instantaneous line-width of ∼14.5  MHz and peak-peak frequency stability of 151 MHz over 100 s. More than 95% of the tuning range provides UV power >260  mW. Access to lower UV wavelengths can in principle be realized by operating the SRO in the visible using shorter grating periods.

Yb-fiber-laser-pumped, high-repetition-rate picosecond optical parametric oscillator tunable in the ultraviolet

We report a compact tunable 240-MHz picosecond source for the ultraviolet based on intra-cavity frequency doubling of a signal-resonant MgO:sPPLT optical parametric oscillator (OPO), synchronously pumped at 532 nm in the green by the second harmonic of a mode-locked Yb-fiber laser at 80-MHz repetition rate. By deploying a 30-mm-long multi-grating MgO:sPPLT crystal for the OPO and a 5-mm-long BiB(3)O(6) crystal for internal doubling, we have generated tunable UV radiation across 317-340.5 nm, with up to 30 mW at 334.5 nm. The OPO also provides tunable visible signal in the red, across 634-681 nm, and mid-infrared idler radiation over 2429-3298 nm, with as maximum signal power of 800 mW at 642 nm. The signal pulses have a temporal duration of 12 ps at 665 nm and exhibit high spatial beam quality with Gaussian profile. The signal power is recorded to be naturally stable with a fluctuation of 1.4% rms over 14 hours, while UV power degradation has been observed and studied.

Continuous-wave, two-crystal, singly-resonant optical parametric oscillator: theory and experiment

We present theoretical and experimental study of a continuous-wave, two-crystal, singly-resonant optical parametric oscillator (T-SRO) comprising two identical 30-mm-long crystals of MgO:sPPLT in a four- mirror ring cavity and pumped with two separate pump beams in the green. The idler beam after each crystal is completely out-coupled, while the signal radiation is resonant inside the cavity. Solving the coupled amplitude equations under undepleted pump approximation, we calculate the maximum threshold reduction, parametric gain acceptance bandwidth and closest possible attainable wavelength separation in arbitrary dual-wavelength generation and compare with the experimental results. Although the T-SRO has two identical crystals, the acceptance bandwidth of the device is equal to that of a single-crystal SRO. Due to the division of pump power in two crystals, the T-SRO can handle higher total pump power while lowering crystal damage risk and thermal effects. We also experimentally verify the high power performance of such scheme, providing a total output power of 6.5 W for 16.2 W of green power at 532 nm. We verified coherent energy coupling between the intra-cavity resonant signal waves resulting Raman spectral lines. Based on the T-SRO scheme, we also report a new technique to measure the temperature acceptance bandwidth of the single-pass parametric amplifier across the OPO tuning range.

Frequency-modulation-mode-locked optical parametric oscillator

We demonstrate a novel technique for the generation of mode-locked pulses from a continuous-wave (cw) optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The technique is based on the deployment of a phase modulator in combination with an antiresonant ring interferometer internal to a cw OPO, simultaneously providing spectral broadening and phase-to-amplitude feedback modulation. The scheme is implemented in a doubly-resonant cw OPO based on MgO:sPPLT, configured in a standing-wave cavity and pumped at 532 nm. With the phase modulator activated and the cavity length synchronized, a stable train of 800 ps pulses is generated at a repetition rate of 160 MHz. Using single-pass second harmonic generation (SHG) of the OPO output, we observe a four times enhancement in SHG compared with cw operation, confirming the real achievement of energy concentration as a result of mode-locked operation.

Dual-wavelength, two-crystal, continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator

We report a cw optical parametric oscillator (OPO) in a novel architecture comprising two nonlinear crystals in a single cavity, providing two independently tunable pairs of signal and idler wavelengths. Based on a singly resonant oscillator design, the device permits access to arbitrary signal and idler wavelength combinations within the parametric gain bandwidth and reflectivity of the OPO cavity mirrors. Using two identical 30 mm long MgO:sPPLT crystals in a compact four-mirror ring resonator pumped at 532 nm, we generate two pairs of signal and idler wavelengths with arbitrary tuning across 850-1430 nm, and demonstrate a frequency separation in the resonant signal waves down to 0.55 THz. Moreover, near wavelength-matched condition, coherent energy coupling between the resonant signal waves, results in reduced operation threshold and increased output power. A total output power >2.8 W with peak-to-peak power stability of 16% over 2 h is obtained.

High-efficiency, multicrystal, single-pass, continuous-wave second harmonic generation

We describe the critical design parameters and present detailed experimental and theoretical studies for efficient, continuous-wave (cw), single-pass second harmonic generation (SHG) based on novel cascaded multicrystal scheme, providing >55% conversion efficiency and multiwatt output powers at 532 nm for a wide range of input fundamental powers at 1064 nm. Systematic characterization of the technique in single-crystal, double-crystal and multicrystal schemes has been performed and the results are compared. Optimization of vital parameters including focusing and phase-matching temperature at the output of each stage is investigated and strategies to achieve optimum SHG efficiency and power are discussed. Relevant theoretical calculations to estimate the effect of dispersion between the fundamental and the SH beam in air are also presented. The contributions of thermal effects on SHG efficiency roll-off have been studied from quasi-cw measurements. Using this multicrystal scheme, stable SH power with a peak-to-peak fluctuation better than 6.5% over more than 2 hours is achieved in high spatial beam quality with M2<1.6.

Multicrystal, continuous-wave, single-pass second-harmonic generation with 56% efficiency

We report a simple and compact implementation for single-pass second-harmonic-generation (SP-SHG) of cw laser radiation, based on a cascaded multicrystal (MC) scheme, that can provide the highest conversion efficiency at any given fundamental power. By deploying a suitable number of identical 30-mm-long MgO:sPPLT crystals in a cascade and a 30W cw Yb-fiber laser at 1064nm as the fundamental source, we demonstrate SP-SHG into the green with a conversion efficiency as high as 56% in the low-power as well as the high-power regime, providing 5.6W of green output for 10W and 13W of green output for 25.1W of input pump power. The MC scheme permits substantial increase in cw SP-SHG efficiency compared to the conventional single-crystal scheme without compromising performance with regard to power stability and beam quality.

High-power, continuous-wave, optical parametric oscillator pumped by an optically pumped semiconductor laser at 532 nm

We report a high-power, cw, single-frequency optical parametric oscillator pumped external to an optically pumped semiconductor laser (OPSL). The singly resonant oscillator (SRO), based on a 30 mm crystal of MgO:sPPLT, is pumped by a 6 W, cw OPSL at 532 nm. By deploying signal outcoupling and loose focusing in the presence of low pump power, we achieve significant improvements in SRO performance across the tuning range with regard to signal power, extraction efficiency, and pump depletion by reducing thermal effects. We generate >1.78 W of idler and >0.9 W of signal over 856-1404 nm while maintaining a total output power of >2 W over 93% of the tuning range at an extraction efficiency of 48.7% and pump depletion of 84%. The signal power remains within 0.85-1.05 W across the entire tuning range and has a TEM(00) spatial profile with M(2)<1.28 and circularity of >97%. Measurements of signal spectrum confirm single-frequency performance with an instantaneous linewidth of approximately 15 MHz and frequency stability better than 60 MHz over 60 s.

Broadband, high-power, continuous-wave, mid-infrared source using extended phase-matching bandwidth in MgO:PPLN

We report a compact and viable source of broadband, high-power, cw, mid-IR radiation based on a singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (SRO) pumped by a wide-bandwidth cw Yb fiber laser centered at 1060 nm. By exploiting the extended phase-matching bandwidth in a 50 mm crystal of MgO:PPLN and a ring SRO cavity, we obtain 5.3 W of broadband idler output for 25.5 W of pump at >80% depletion, transferring a pump bandwidth of 73.9 cm(-1) to an idler spectrum spread across an equal bandwidth centered at 3454 nm. By deploying output coupling of the signal, we generate 11.2 W of total power at 44% extraction efficiency with a pump depletion of >73% at the maximum available pump power. Measurements of transverse modal power confirm Gaussian distribution of signal and idler beams.

High-power, single-frequency, continuous-wave second-harmonic-generation of ytterbium fiber laser in PPKTP and MgO:sPPLT

Characteristics of high-power, narrow-linewidth, continuous-wave (cw) green radiation obtained by simple single-pass second-harmonic-generation (SHG) of a cw ytterbium fiber laser at 1064 nm in the nonlinear crystals of PPKTP and MgO:sPPLT are studied and compared. Temperature tuning and SHG power scaling up to nearly 10 W for input fundamental power levels up to 30 W are performed. Various contributions to thermal effects in both crystals, limiting the SHG conversion efficiency, are studied. Optimal focusing conditions and thermal management schemes are investigated to maximize SHG performance in MgO:sPPLT. Stable green output power and high spatial beam quality with M(2)<1.33 and M(2)<1.34 is achieved in MgO:sPPLT and PPKTP, respectively.

Continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator pumped by a fiber laser green source at 532 nm

We report a high-power, cw, singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (SRO) using a simple, compact fiber pump laser architecture in the green. The SRO, based on MgO:sPPLT, is pumped by 9.6 W of single-frequency cw radiation at 532 nm obtained by single-pass second-harmonic generation (SHG) of a 30 W Yb fiber laser, also in MgO:sPPLT. Using two identical crystals of 30 mm length for SHG and SRO, we generate cw idler powers of up to 2 W over 855-1408 nm, with a peak-to-peak power stability <11.7% over 40 min, in a TEM(00) spatial mode with M(2)<1.26. Using finite output coupling of the resonant wave, we extract 800 mW of signal power with peak-to-peak power stability <10.7% over 40 min, and a frequency stability <75 MHz over 15 min. The signal and idler output have TEM(00) beam profile with M(2)<1.52 across the tuning range.

Stable, 9.6 W, continuous-wave, single-frequency, fiber-based green source at 532 nm

We present a stable, high-power, cw, single-frequency green source in a compact and practical design based on a simple single-pass second-harmonic generation of a cw ytterbium fiber laser at 1064 nm in MgO-doped periodically poled stoichiometric LiTaO(3). Using a 30-mm-long crystal containing a single grating, we have generated 9.64 W of cw radiation at 532 nm with a fundamental power of 29.5 W at a single-pass conversion efficiency of 32.7%. The output power is naturally stable with a peak-to-peak fluctuation of 7.6% over the first 8 h and 9% over 13 h. Over the entire range of fundamental powers, the generated green output is single frequency with an instantaneous linewidth of 6.5 MHz and frequency stability of <32 MHz over 30 min and has a TEM(00) spatial profile with M(2)<1.33.

High-power, continuous-wave, second-harmonic generation at 532 nm in periodically poled KTiOPO(4)

We report efficient generation of high-power, cw, single-frequency radiation in the green in a simple, compact configuration based on single-pass, second-harmonic generation of a cw ytterbium fiber laser at 1064 nm in periodically poled KTiOPO(4). Using a crystal containing a 17 mm single grating with period of 9.01 microm, we generate 6.2 W of cw radiation at 532 nm for a fundamental power of 29.75 W at a single-pass conversion efficiency of 20.8%. Over the entire range of pump powers, the generated green output is single frequency with a linewidth of 8.5 MHz and has a TEM(00) spatial profile with M(2)<1.34. The demonstrated green power can be further improved by proper thermal management of crystal heating effects at higher pump powers and also by optimized design of the grating period to include thermal issues.

Continuous-wave, single-frequency, solid-state blue source for the 425-489 nm spectral range

We report a new source of cw, single-frequency radiation in the blue, offering extended tunability and practical powers in a compact, all-solid-state design. The device is based on a green-pumped, cw, singly resonant optical parametric oscillator using MgO-doped stoichiometric lithium tantalate (MgO:sPPLT) as the nonlinear material. By internal second-harmonic generation of the resonant near-infrared signal radiation in a 5 mm BiB(3)O(6) crystal, we generate nearly 450 mW of cw, single-frequency blue power over a tunable range of 425-489 nm with a linewidth of 8.5 MHz and a Gaussian spatial beam profile. The demonstrated wavelength coverage can be further extended by using alternative gratings for the MgO:sPPLT crystal.

Continuous-wave singly-resonant optical parametric oscillator with resonant wave coupling

We report major enhancements in the overall performance of continuous-wave singly-resonant optical parametric oscillators (cw SROs) through finite output coupling of the resonant wave. Using a cw SRO based on MgO:sPPLT pumped at 532 nm, we demonstrate improvements of 1.08 W in total output power, 10% in total extraction efficiency, and a 130-nm extension in the useful tuning range, while maintaining pump depletions of 70%, idler output powers of 2.59 W, and a minimal increase in oscillation threshold of 24%. The output-coupled cw SRO can deliver a total power of up to 3.6 W at 40% extraction efficiency across 848-1427 nm. The single-frequency resonant wave also exhibits a higher spectral purity than the non-resonant output.

1.59 W, single-frequency, continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator based on MgO:sPPLT

A watt-level, single-frequency, continuous-wave (cw) singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on MgO:sPPLT is described. Pumped in the green by a frequency-doubled cw diode-pumped Nd:YVO(4) laser at 532 nm, the OPO can provide up to 1.59 W of single-frequency idler output with a linewidth of ~7 MHz at pump depletions of as much as 67%. Using a compact ring resonator and optimized focusing in a 30 mm crystal, a singly resonant oscillation threshold of 2.84 W has been obtained under single-pass pumping. With a single grating period of 7.97 microm, continuous signal and idler coverage over 852-1417 nm is obtained by temperature tuning between 61 degrees C and 236 degrees C. The influence of thermal lensing on idler output power across the SRO tuning range is also verified.

High-power, continuous-wave, singly resonant optical parametric oscillator based on MgO:sPPLT

We report a high-power, widely tunable, cw singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on MgO:sPPLT. The OPO is pumped in the green by a cw diode-pumped Nd:YVO(4) laser at 532 nm and can provide continuously tunable output across 848-1430 nm. Using a 30 mm crystal and double-pass pumping, an oscillation threshold of 2.88 W has been obtained, and single-pass idler powers in excess of 1.51 W have been generated over 1104-1430 nm for 6W of pump power at an extraction efficiency of 25.2% and photon conversion efficiency of 56.7%.