Tunable High-Pulse-Energy Mid-Infrared Laser Source Based on Optical Parametric Amplification in ZnGeP_(2)

摘要

Nonlinear optical conversion of high-energy 1.064 (mu)m pulses from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser to the mid-infrared is demonstrated. The experimental setup is based on a two-stage master-oscillator/power-amplifier (MOPA) design with a KTiOPO_(4) based MOPA in the first stage and a KTiOAsO_(4)/ZnGeP_(2) based MOPA in the second stage. The setup can be tuned to provide output at wavelengths within the transparency range of ZnGeP_(2). We obtain more than 8 mJ at 8 (mu)m, and up to 33 mJ in the 3-5 (mu)m wavelength region. The measured beam quality factors are in the range M~(2) velence 2-4 for both wavelength regions.