Abstract

In addition to having attractive nonlinear-optic characteristics, KTP has promising electro-optic and dielectric properties that make it useful for various electro-optical applications, such as modulators and Q switches.¹ We report an experimental study of a 4 × 8 × 4 mm hydrothermally grown KTP Pockels cell that uses the effective electro-optic coefficient r_cl = r₃₃ − (ni.n3)³r₁₃ = 28 pm/v. Compensation of the static birefringence of KTP, when it is used as an amplitude modulator has been realized. Our investigations revealed that, unlike other electro-optic materials, KTP Pockels cells do not suffer from piezoelectrically induced parasitics (acoustic ringing). Because of this, we have been able to demonstrate stable high-repetition rate pulse slicing. The dynamic half-wave voltage is close to the static one (2.9 kV) and it is significantly lower than that of the commonly used LiNbO₃ Pockels cell. An additional advantage of KTP over other Pockels-cell materials, such as KD^*P and LiNbO₃, is its high damage threshold. Therefore, KTP is an ideal material for intracavity electro-optic applications, in particular for high-peak power regenerative amplifiers operating at high-repetition rate.² We have successfully studied this mode of operation, and our results will be discussed.

© 1990 Optical Society of America