Synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator based on periodically poled MgO-doped lithium niobate

Abstract

We demonstrate a room-temperature operation of the near-infrared femtosecond optical parametric oscillator based on MgO-doped stoichiometric periodically-poled lithium niobate, which is synchronously pumped by a Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. Wide tunability in the range from 0.98 mu m to 1.50 mu m was enabled for a single set of cavity mirrors by incorporating a BK7 window as an output coupler. For the output coupling ratio of 3.7%, the threshold pumping power of 460 mW and the slope power conversion efficiency of 37% were achieved. By controlling dispersion values with intra-cavity prisms, femtosecond pulses as short as 66 fs could be obtained. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.