QUADRUPLE GRATING PERIOD PPLN OPTICAL PARAMETRIC OSCILLATOR DIFFERENCE FREQUENCY GENERATOR WITH COMMON DOUBLY RESONANT CAVITY

摘要

The present invention relates generally to the field of optical devices andparticularly to embodiments of a four-stage PPLN opticalparametric oscillator/difference-frequency generator configuration. Thepresent invention allows simultaneously and colinear generationof four wavelengths in efficient use of the pump signal. A first embodimentcomprises a singly resonant cavity (38) having an internalmonolithic non-linear optical medium (20) disposed in the cavity. The cavityis bounded by an input mirror (34) and an output mirror (36).The monolithic non-linear optical medium is divided into four regions eachhaving its own grating period. A second embodiment of thepresent invention comprises a monolithic non-linear optical medium (40)divided into four separate regions (46, 48, 50, 52). The entrancefacet (42) and exit facet (44) of the monolithic non-linear optical mediumincludes a coating (58, 60) which acts as the cavity minors.