This paper describes a picosecond laser system based on a hybrid CO2 laser, using optically controlled semiconductor switches with a pulse width from 100 ps to 300 ns, followed by conversion of the radiation in nonlinear crystals by means of second-harmonic generation. Silver selenogallate AgGaSe2 and zinc germanium diphosphide ZnGeP2 are used as nonlinear crystals. Two-stage conversion of the radiation of a picosecond CO2 laser with wavelength 9.4-10.6 mu m into laser radiation with wavelengths 4.7-5.3 mu m is carried out in the apparatus with an efficiency of 0.3%-0.5%, while 4.7-5.3-mu m radiation is converted into 2.4-2.65-mu m radiation with an efficiency of 8%. The overall conversion efficiency is 4 x 10(-4) or 0.04% for an output pulse energy up to 35 mu J. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America.
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