Wavelength conversion method, optical parametric oscillator and photoparametric amplifier
Technical field
The present invention relates to the laser technique field, be specifically related to a kind of Wavelength conversion method, optical parametric oscillator and photoparametric amplifier.
Background technology
Wavelength has important use greater than the laser of 3.7 μ m (micron) in fields such as photoelectronic warfare, detection of gas, and present widely used infrared eye has the responsive effect of comparison to this wave band.The method that realizes this wavelength laser has a lot, and wherein the optical parametric conversion method is because implementation structure is simple, volume is little and the characteristic of tunable wave length, becomes the effective means of present realization wavelength greater than the laser of 3.7 μ m.
The method of so-called optical parametric conversion is to utilize the conversion of crystal second nonlinear optic will inject the pumping Wavelength of Laser to convert the longer laser of wavelength to.When laser passes through birefringece crystal, be divided into ordinary light (o light) and extraordinary ray (e light) according to polarization state.In satisfying, the laser that injects crystal phase-matching condition the time, the optical parametric conversion process can take place.
In the optical parametric conversion process, a pump photon is buried in oblivion a signal photon of generation and an ideler frequency photon, and the laser of three wavelength satisfies phase-matching condition:
λ wherein
1, λ
2, λ
3Be respectively flashlight, ideler frequency light and pumping light wavelength, n
1, n
2, n
3Be respectively flashlight, ideler frequency light and the refractive index of pump light in crystal of polarization state.Three wavelength satisfy:
In the optical parametric conversion process, flashlight and ideler frequency light are referred to as parameteric light, and for these two parameteric lights, if be called flashlight to one of them, another is called ideler frequency light.If have only pump light to inject in the nonlinear crystal, from crystal, exported flashlight and ideler frequency light, then this device can be called optical parameter maker (OPG).If stronger pump light and more weak parameteric light inject nonlinear crystal, from crystal, exported stronger parameteric light, this is the process that an optical parameter is amplified, this device can be called photoparametric amplifier (OPA).If add resonator cavity at the nonlinear crystal two ends, pump light is injected in resonator cavity and the crystal, when at least a parameteric light vibrated in resonator cavity, this was called optical parametric oscillator (OPO).According to the type of resonator cavity, OPO can be divided into single resonance OPO (having only the flashlight vibration) and double resonance OPO (flashlight and ideler frequency light vibrate simultaneously); If pump light is reflected by resonator mirror, thereby twice is passed through nonlinear crystal, can be called round trip pumping OPO.
The method that nonlinear frequency transformation commonly used produces greater than 3.7 mum wavelength laser is to utilize the laser instrument of 2 mum wavelengths to obtain through the optical parameter process, and crystal commonly used is ZnGeP
2(ZGP), AgGaS
2In crystal.For pulse width is the pulse of 10ns, and the damage threshold of these two kinds of crystal is respectively 2J/cm
2And 1J/cm
2, owing to the restriction of coating process, damage threshold can be lower in the practical application, thereby be unfavorable for high power density and the running of macro-energy density.And the laser of 2 mum wavelengths need produce or pass through the laser crystal generation of Tm, Ho plasma doping through multistage optical parameter process, and these two kinds of methods all can increase the complicacy of system in practical application.Use at present ZGP crystal, the laser of 10ns pulse width can obtain about 30mJ, wavelength laser greater than 3.7 μ m.Produce the laser of this wave band, also can use LiNbO
3(LN) and periodic polarized LiNbO
3(PPLN) crystal, but because the restriction of manufacture craft level, the damage threshold in actual use of LN crystal is at 0.5J/cm
2About (pulse width 10ns), the damage threshold of PPLN crystal is then lower.That is that all right is ripe for present bigbore PPLN crystal technique, and this crystalloid also is unfavorable for exporting the laser of macro-energy density and high power density, utilizes this crystalloid can produce the laser (pulse width 10ns) of 30mJ wavelength around greater than 3.7 μ m in theory.Utilization is along the arsenic acid titanyl potassium (KTiOAsO of X-cut
4Abbreviate KTA as) crystal through the laser pump (ing) of 1.5 mum wavelengths also can produce this wave band laser (referring to the invention US6834063); But the laser of 1.5 mum wavelengths at first will obtain through the KTA crystal of the laser pump (ing) X-cut about 1.064 μ m, has increased the complicacy of system.Because the macro-energy wavelength has the important use potentiality greater than the laser of 3.7 μ m in fields such as remote sensing detection of gas and middle infrared wavelength military confrontations, utilize simple portable structure to realize that more the output of macro-energy has actual application value.
Summary of the invention
The technical matters that (one) will solve
Technical matters to be solved by this invention is: it is simple how to design a kind of implementation procedure, the Wavelength conversion method that cost is low, and optical parametric oscillator and the photoparametric amplifier realized by this method.
(2) technical scheme
For solving the problems of the technologies described above; The invention provides a kind of Wavelength conversion method; Said method uses the laser pump (ing) KTA crystal of certain wavelength to obtain the laser of wavelength greater than 3.7 μ m; Wherein, be in the phase matching angle of marginal position of the phase matching curve of KTA crystal in the KTA crystal by adopting XZ refractive index main shaft plane.
Preferably, said certain wavelength wavelength that is 1047nm~1064nm.
Preferably, said certain wavelength wavelength that is 1.064 μ m.
Preferably, 41.2 ° phase matching angle in the said KTA crystal by adopting XZ refractive index main shaft plane.
Preferably, said wavelength is the laser of wavelength greater than the infrared band of 3.7 μ m greater than the laser of 3.7 μ m.
Preferably, said wavelength is that 3.7~3.8 mu m wavebands, centre wavelength are the laser of the infrared band of wavelength 3.75 μ m greater than the laser of 3.7 μ m.
Preferably, the form of the form that said KTA crystal is a monolithic, polylith series connection, perhaps polylith is walked the form from compensation.
Preferably, the laser of said certain wavelength is pump light, and the laser crystal that produces said pump light is Nd
3+And Yb
3+Doped crystal, the matrix cystal that is doped are YAG, YVO
4A kind of with among the YLF.
The present invention also provides a kind of optical parametric oscillator (comprising exocoel OPO and inner chamber exocoel OPO), and it utilizes described method to realize, comprises KTA crystal resonant cavity mirror.
The present invention also provides a kind of photoparametric amplifier, and it utilizes described method to realize, comprises the KTA crystal.
(3) beneficial effect
The present invention utilizes the laser pump-coupling KTA crystal about 1.064 μ m to obtain the laser greater than 3.7 mum wavelengths, owing to do not have the optical parameter process of middle wavelength, so implementation procedure is simple.The KTA crystal is compared other crystal (like ZGP, PPLN) has higher damage threshold, therefore is more conducive to high-energy-density output.And because KTA crystal production technology is ripe relatively, price is also cheaper than other crystal (like ZGP, PPLN etc.), so reduced the realization cost.
Description of drawings
Fig. 1 is the spectrogram of the ideler frequency light of the present invention's acquisition;
Fig. 2 is the external cavity type OPO system construction drawing of the embodiment of the invention 1;
Fig. 3 is the OPA system construction drawing of the embodiment of the invention 2;
Fig. 4 is the intracavity OPO system construction drawing of the embodiment of the invention 3.
Embodiment
Regard to a kind of Wavelength conversion method, optical parametric oscillator and photoparametric amplifier proposed by the invention down, specify in conjunction with accompanying drawing and embodiment.
The embodiment of the invention is based on 1.064 μ m wavelength around laser (being pump light) pumping arsenic acid titanyl potassium (KTiOAsO
4, be called for short KTA) and crystal, the optical parametric conversion process takes place in pump light in the KTA crystal, generate the laser of wavelength greater than the infrared band of 3.7 μ m.This KTA crystal is the KTA crystal of 41.2 ° of phase matching in the XZ refractive index main shaft plane.In the experiment of the present invention, utilize the laser pump (ing) KTA crystal of 1.064 mum wavelengths to obtain the laser of 3.7~3.8 mu m wavebands, centre wavelength 3.75 μ m, the about 60~70mJ of energy, the about 7ns of pulse width, spot diameter are 9mm.
Among the present invention; The position that phase matching takes place is in the edge of the phase matching curve of KTA crystal; Because the inexactness of refractometry and the small variations of actual phase matching process; Phase matching process to this position has a lot of predictions at present, and forecast model is basic identical, and predicting the outcome but has not little difference.The people such as Das of India Burdwan University university study the phase matching process of the following wavelength of 3.7 μ m recently, have also enumerated simultaneously the different predicting result, for 3.7 μ m~4.0 mu m wavebands experimental result of but failing to provide.The present invention has then obtained the laser of wavelength greater than 3.7 μ m experimentally, and the part of having filled up KTA crystal output macro-energy middle infrared wavelength laser is blank.Here utilize 41.2 ° of XZ refractive indexes of laser pump (ing) main shaft plane (being the XZ plane) KTA crystal of interior phase matching of 1.064 mum wavelengths to obtain the laser of wavelength 3.75 μ m; Not simply to the change of KTA crystal coupling angle, but to the exploration and the checking of the phase matching situation of phase matching curved edge critical localisation in the XZ plane X Z refractive index main shaft plane of the KTA crystal of 1.064 mum wavelength pumpings.Experimentally obtained the wavelength components of 3.7~3.8 μ m, explained that the phase matching process of this angle exists, and, explain that utilizing this method generation macro-energy wavelength is feasible greater than the laser of 3.7 μ m owing to actually exported bigger energy.In the experiment of the present invention; Obtained (this OPO comprises KTA crystal resonant cavity mirror) laser of macro-energy 3.75 mum wavelengths with the laser pump-coupling one-level OPO of 1.064 mum wavelengths; Owing to there is not the parameter amplification process; So implementation structure simply also is an advantage of the present invention, this advantage more has superiority in practical application.Near this coupling angle, fine setting KTA crystal can obtain the laser of macro-energy wavelength greater than 3.7 μ m.Because KTA crystal production technology is ripe relatively, price is cheap than crystal such as ZGP, PPLN, so total system also more has superiority on cost squeeze.
Realize the possibility of wavelength greater than the output of 3.7 μ m intensity lasers in order to verify with the KTA crystal, the present invention has designed KTA crystal OPO.Wherein KTA crystal by adopting 41.2 ° of cuttings in XZ refractive index main shaft plane, pump light adopts the laser of 10Hz, 1.064 μ m, and pump energy is 800mJ, pulse width 10ns, the space distribution form is that nearly flat-top distributes.Resonator cavity adopts the form of exocoel pumping, flashlight single resonance, and two crystal of KTA crystal by adopting are walked the form from compensation.The present invention experiment has obtained the ideler frequency light (as shown in Figure 1) of 60mJ, 3.75 μ m centre wavelengths, and pulse width is 7ns.
Be illustrated in figure 2 as an application implementation example of the present invention, this embodiment adopts the form of exocoel OPO.Near the KTA crystal that cuts 41.2 ° in the XZ refractive index main shaft plane is placed in the OPO resonator cavity, and crystal can adopt the form of monolithic, the form of polylith series connection, and perhaps polylith is walked the form from compensation, and the ideler frequency center wavelength of light is greater than 3.7 μ m.Pump mode adopts the structure of exocoel pumping, and promptly OPO resonator cavity and pumping source resonator cavity are separate.OPO resonator cavity in the experiment has adopted the structure of average resonator cavity, i.e. the resonator cavity of two planar cavity mirrors (being OPO input mirror and the OPO outgoing mirror among Fig. 2) composition.In the time of practical application, resonator cavity also can adopt other resonator cavity type, for example forms such as confocal resonator, concentric resonator, unsteady cavity.The pump light of macro-energy density, low repetition, low power density is injected in the OPO resonator cavity, and flashlight produces in the OPO resonator cavity and vibrates.If adopt the form of double resonance OPO, flashlight and ideler frequency light will vibrate in OPO simultaneously.The pump light wavelength adopts the wavelength of 1047nm~1064nm.The laser crystal that produces pump light can be Nd
3+And Yb
3+Doped crystal, the matrix cystal that is doped can be YAG, YVO
4, crystal such as YLF.The size of KTA crystal is according to actual OPO parameter designing.
As shown in Figure 3, the another application of the invention instance is a photoparametric amplifier.The pump light of macro-energy and more weak flashlight are injected near the KTA crystal of cutting 41.2 °, obtain the ideler frequency light of macro-energy through the OPA process, the ideler frequency center wavelength of light is greater than 3.7 μ m.The KTA crystal is placed in the OPO resonator cavity, and crystal can adopt a perhaps form of polylith series connection, also can adopt away the form from compensation.
45 ° of mirrors among Fig. 3 have high permeability to pump light, and flashlight is had high reflectance.The pump light of macro-energy density, low repetition, low power density is injected in the KTA crystal, and flashlight amplifies phenomenon with pump light generation optical parameter in the KTA crystal, obtain the ideler frequency light of macro-energy.The pump light wavelength adopts the wavelength of 1047nm~1064nm.The laser crystal that produces pump light can be Nd
3+And Yb
3+Doped crystal, the matrix cystal that is doped can be YAG, YVO
4, crystal such as YLF.The length of KTA crystal is according to actual OPO parameter designing, and the KTA crystal can be chosen as the form of monolithic, the form of polylith series connection, and perhaps polylith is walked the form from compensation.
As shown in Figure 4, another application example of the present invention is intracavity OPO, and promptly the OPO resonator cavity is placed in the pump light resonator cavity, and resonator cavity also can adopt other resonator cavity type, for example forms such as confocal resonator, concentric resonator, unsteady cavity.The resonator cavity of OPO can use identical chamber mirror with the pump light resonator cavity, also can use separate chamber mirror.Near the KTA crystal that cuts 41.2 ° in the XZ refractive index main shaft plane is placed in the OPO resonator cavity, and crystal can adopt the form of monolithic, the form of polylith series connection, and perhaps polylith is walked the form from compensation, and the ideler frequency center wavelength of light is greater than 3.7 μ m.Pump light can adopt the form running of macro-energy density, low repetition, low power density.The pump light of macro-energy density, low repetition, low power density turns round in the pump light resonator cavity and is injected in the OPO resonator cavity, and flashlight produces in the OPO resonator cavity and vibrates.If adopt the form of double resonance OPO, flashlight and ideler frequency light will vibrate in OPO simultaneously.The pump light wavelength adopts the wavelength of 1047nm~1064nm.The laser crystal that produces pump light can be Nd
3+And Yb
3+Doped crystal, the matrix cystal that is doped can be YAG, YVO
4, crystal such as YLF.The length of KTA crystal is according to actual OPO parameter designing.
Above embodiment only is used to explain the present invention; And be not limitation of the present invention; The those of ordinary skill in relevant technologies field under the situation that does not break away from the spirit and scope of the present invention, can also be made various variations and modification; Therefore all technical schemes that are equal to also belong to category of the present invention, and invention protection domain of the present invention should be defined by the claims.