Plane-wave dynamics of optical parametric oscillation with simultaneous sum-frequency generation

The plane wave dynamics of a single-crystal upconversion optical parametric oscillators (OPO) with simultaneous sum-frequency generation (SFG) was studied. It was presumed that simultaneous phase-matching of the SFG and OPO processes were achieved by utilizing birefringent phase matching (BPM). Potential polarization geometries for collinear BPM led to four different sets of coupled mode equations depending on which field components were common to the two processes. The sets were designated as classes A through D. Classes A and D were efficient frequency upconverters. The performance of class A OPO's was limited by crystal properties whereas classes C and D was optimized by adjusting the polarization rotation angle

Advances in femtosecond single-crystal sum-frequency generating optical parametric oscillators

The effect of compensating the group velocity mismatch between the orthogonal pump components on the conversion efficiency of the optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) was investigated. A femtosecond single-crystal sum-frequency generating optical parametric oscillators (OPO) based on a Ti:sapphire laser pumped KTiOPO4 crystal was used. presented. The crystal was phase matched for a specific signal wavelength corresponding to the operational wavelength of the laser. The crystal was also phase-matched for the sum-frequency generations (SFG) of the pump and the signal beams yielded a blue output beam. The conversion efficiency of the OPOs increased by compensating the group velocity mismatch

Ultrafast Laser-Based Spectroscopy and Sensing: Applications in LIBS, CARS, and THz Spectroscopy

Ultrafast pulsed lasers find application in a range of spectroscopy and sensing techniques including laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), coherent Raman spectroscopy, and terahertz (THz) spectroscopy. Whether based on absorption or emission processes, the characteristics of these techniques are heavily influenced by the use of ultrafast pulses in the signal generation process. Depending on the energy of the pulses used, the essential laser interaction process can primarily involve lattice vibrations, molecular rotations, or a combination of excited states produced by laser heating. While some of these techniques are currently confined to sensing at close ranges, others can be implemented for remote spectroscopic sensing owing principally to the laser pulse duration. We present a review of ultrafast laser-based spectroscopy techniques and discuss the use of these techniques to current and potential chemical and environmental sensing applications