Abstract

We demonstrate an efficient way of parametric generation, useful when the available pump energy is very small. This is the case with small laser diode (LD) pumped solid-state lasers which have a Q-switched energy typically of a few millijoules in the near infrared. Moreover, for parametric generation in the near infrared, the infrared output of the solid-state laser has to be first converted to its second harmonic for pumping the OPO which further restricts the usable energy. A suitable design of the optical parametric converter is therefore required that has both low pump energy threshold and high conversion efficiency at pump fluences near the threshold value.

© 1995 IEEE