Walk-off corrected KTP crystal for low pulse energy pumped optical parametric oscillation

摘要

A quasi-noncritical phase-matching (QNCPM) technology has been developed employing adhesive-free bonding (AFB?) for high efficiency and high beam quality frequency conversion. A 16-layer KTP composite with total length of 32 mm was fabricated for a low pulse energy pumped 2-μm optical parametric oscillator (OPO). Our calculations indicate that the KTP composite has a 16 times lower walk-off effect and 16 times higher angle acceptance compared with the OPO in the same length single KTP crystal. Even only considering the walk-off correction, the threshold pump pulse energy in such a QNCPM OPO can be expected to be reduced by 256 times. In addition, the AFB technique was demonstrated to have uniform bonding quality and immeasurably small interface loss. Therefore, it can be expected to allow engineering of other critical phase-matched nonlinear optical devices into QNCPM devices.