0.7 MW Yb:YAG pumped degenerate optical parametric oscillator at 2.06 {\mu}m

TL;DR

This paper presents a high-power, broadband Yb:YAG pumped optical parametric oscillator at 2.06 μm, enhancing the capabilities of field-resolved spectroscopy for atmospheric pollutant detection.

Contribution

It introduces a 0.7 MW Yb:YAG pumped degenerate OPO with high efficiency and fast modulation, advancing spectroscopic detection techniques.

Findings

Delivered 2.8 W, 114 fs pulses at 2.06 μm

Achieved 13% optical-to-optical conversion efficiency

Enabled broadband, high-frequency modulation of the OPO output

Abstract

Frequency comb and field-resolved broadband absorption spectroscopy are promising techniques for rapid, precise, and sensitive detection of short-lived atmospheric pollutants on-site. Enhancing detection sensitivity in absorption spectroscopy hinges on bright sources that cover molecular resonances and fast signal modulation techniques to implement lock-in detection schemes efficiently. Yb:YAG thin-disk lasers, combined with optical parametric oscillators (OPO), present a compelling solution to fulfill these requirements. In this work, we report on a bright OPO pumped by a Yb:YAG thin-disk Kerr-lens mode-locked oscillator delivering 2.8 W, 114 fs pulses at 2.06 {\mu}m with an averaged energy of 90 nJ. The OPO cavity operates at 30.9 MHz pulse repetition rates, the second harmonic of the pump cavity, allowing for broadband, efficient, and dispersion-free modulation of the OPO output pulses at 15.45 MHz rate. With 13% optical-to-optical conversion efficiency and a high-frequency intra-cavity modulation, this scalable scheme holds promise to advance the detection sensitivity and frontiers of field-resolved spectroscopic techniques.