1.State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Opto-Electronics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China 2.Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
Fund Project:Project supported by National Key Research and Develop Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFA0301401) and the Fund for Shanxi “1331 Project” Key Subjects Construction (Grant No. 1331KSC)
Received Date:23 December 2019
Accepted Date:19 January 2020
Published Online:05 May 2020
Abstract:The infrared laser sources have important applications in many fields such as real-time detection, gas sensing or tracing, high-resolution spectral analysis and quantum optics. In this paper, we develop an infrared laser source with mode-hop-free broadband tunability by using a singly optical parametric oscillator (SRO) based on the magnesium-oxide doped periodically poled lithium niobite (MgO:PPLN) crystal. A polished lithium niobite crystal with a thickness of 1 mm is used as an etalon that is inserted into the cavity of SRO to realize continuous mode-hop-free tuning. The resonant signal in SRO is frequency stabilized to the transmission peak of intracavity etalon. Owing to the high stability of the resonator, continuous mode-hop-free tuning with a bandwidth of 2063.7 GHz for both signal and idler is realized. The oscillation threshold of SRO is 7.3 W. The signal of 4.3 W over 1551.9-1568.6 nm and idler of 2.1 W over 3307.3-3384.3 nm are generated for 22 W of pump power by tuning the temperature of the crystal from 20 ℃ to 70 ℃. The slope efficiency of 42.6% and optical conversion efficiency of 29% are obtained. Then the intensity noise characteristics of generated infrared laser are further studied theoretically and experimentally. The fluctuation characteristics of the SRO emission can be computed just by using a semiclassical approach. We analyze theoretically the factors that affect the intensity noise of the signal and idler. The temperature of the MgO:PPLN crystal and the modulation frequency of the etalon are important parameters, which can affect the intensity noise characteristics of signal and idler laser. Therefore, we investigate experimentally the variation of the intensity noise characteristics by changing the temperature of the crystal and the modulation frequency of the etalon. The intensity noise of the signal and idler laser are optimized through controlling the temperature in a range of 20-60 ℃ and the modulation frequency ranging from 2 kHz to 8 kHz, respectively. The experimental data basically accord with the theoretical calculations. When the operating temperature of the MgO:PPLN crystal is controlled at 60 ℃ and the modulation frequency of the etalon is 8 kHz, the intensity noise of the signal and the idler laser are reduced by 11 dB and 8 dB, respectively. The optimized infrared laser can provide a high-quality laser source for subsequent quantum optics research. Keywords:singly resonant optical parametric oscillator/ mode-hop-free/ continuously wavelength tuning infrared laser/ intensity noise
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2.理论分析采用半经典理论研究SRO输出红外激光的强度噪声特性[20,21], 理论模型如图1所示. 频率为ωp的抽运光单次穿过二阶非线性晶体(本文采用掺氧化镁的周期极化铌酸锂晶体, 简记为MgO: PPLN), 经过频率下转换过程产生频率为ωs的信号光和ωi的闲置光. 信号光在SRO腔内共振, 闲置光单次穿过晶体后直接输出. 图 1 SRO的理论模型 Figure1. Theoretical model of SRO.