Abstract

Optical parametric oscillators, synchronously pumped by cw mode-locked lasers, are an attractive source of broadly tunable ultrafast pulses. Recently, a cw mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser was used to pump a KTP parametric oscillator in both angle tuned [1,2] and pump wavelength tuned [3] configurations. A temperature tuned LBO parametric oscillator has also been reported, pumped by a picosecond frequency doubled cw mode-locked Nd:YLF laser [4]. In this paper we report on the combination of a Ti:sapphire pump laser and an LBO parametric oscillator for the first time. This system has generated 40 fsec pulses, the shortest observed to date from a synchronously pumped parametric oscillator (SPPO).

© 1993 Optical Society of America