초록 ▼

Laser diode pumped mid-IR wavelength sources include at least one high power, near-IR wavelength, injection and/or sources wherein one or both of such sources may be tunable providing a pump wave output beam to a quasi-phase matched (QPM) nonlinear frequency mixing (NFM) device. The NFM device may b

Laser diode pumped mid-IR wavelength sources include at least one high power, near-IR wavelength, injection and/or sources wherein one or both of such sources may be tunable providing a pump wave output beam to a quasi-phase matched (QPM) nonlinear frequency mixing (NFM) device. The NFM device may be a difference frequency mixing (DFM) device or an optical parametric oscillation (OPO) device. Wavelength tuning of at least one of the sources advantageously provides the ability for optimizing pump or injection wavelengths to match the QPM properties of the NFM device enabling a broad range of mid-IR wavelength selectivity. Also, pump powers are gain enhanced by the addition of a rare earth amplifier or oscillator, or a Raman/Brillouin amplifier or oscillator between the high power source and the NFM device. Further, polarization conversion using Raman or Brillouin wavelength shifting is provided to optimize frequency conversion efficiency in the NFM device.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A frequency conversion system comprising:a first gain source for providing a first frequency output;a second gain source for providing a second frequency output;means to tune at least one of said gain sources to a frequency within a range of tunable frequencies;means fo

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A frequency conversion system comprising:a first gain source for providing a first frequency output;a second gain source for providing a second frequency output;means to tune at least one of said gain sources to a frequency within a range of tunable frequencies;means for optically combining said first and second frequency outputs; anda nonlinear frequency mixing device comprising a QPM nonlinear crystal coupled to receive said first and second combined outputs as an input, said nonlinear frequency mixing device further comprising a plurality of selectable quasi-phase matching poling periods which are selectable in the form of adjacent rows in said nonlinear frequency mixing device aligned in an axial direction of said combined input and means to laterally translate said nonlinear frequency mixing device relative to said combined input to select one of said quasi-phase matching poling periods.