Abstract

Compact and efficient sources of tunable radiation in the mid-IR region of the spectrum are required for applications in basic research, trace-gas detection, and industrial-process monitoring. Although Pb-salt diode lasers with suitable output wavelengths have been commercially available for many years, these sources can be operated only at cryogenic temperatures, making them poorly-suited for most real-world applications. Nonlinear difference-frequency generation has been used by a number of workers to generate mid-IR wavelengths at room temperature by using well-developed visible and near-IR laser sources.^1-4

© 1995 Optical Society of America