Synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillators using all-solid-state pump lasers

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Abstract
We discuss recent research on synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillators, outlining some advantages that this technique has over Q-switched pulsed and cw modes of operation. We also describe synchronously pumped devices that use potassium titanyl phosphate and lithium triborate with pump lasers based on second-harmonic generation of the 1047-nm transition in Nd:YLF. Specific emphasis is placed on all-solid-state synchronous pumping of the parametric oscillators and the ability to achieve high efficiencies with relatively low average pump powers. Both doubly and singly resonant devices are discussed with respect to their relative operational merits. We demonstrate broad tuning ranges, from the visible into the IR, and simultaneous four-color operation of the lithium triborate devices with both mode-locked Q-switched and cw mode-locked pump sources.