Abstract

The need for tunable optical sources operating over a wide wavelength range has attracted considerable attention to the study of optical parametric amplifiers and oscillators. In contrast to bulk, integrated optical waveguides can provide parametric amplification with moderate powers due to confinement of the optical energy in a small cross-section, over long interaction lengths [1]. Parametric fluorescence and oscillation in LiNbO₃ waveguides with crystal temperature above 200°C and pump wavelengths in the visible region was demonstrated many years ago [2,3]. Recently, using first order quasi-phase-matching (QPM) scheme, parametric fluorescence at ambient temperature using the largest nonlinear coefficient d₃₃ in LiNbO₃ channel waveguides has been observed, with a cw Ti:Sapphire laser as the pump [4]. Parametric amplification and oscillation have also been observed in such waveguides using a Q-switched Ti:Sapphire laser pump [5].

© 1996 Optical Society of America