SC163 Practical OPOs

Tuesday, May 6, 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Majid Ebrahim-Zadeh¹, Malcolm Dunn²; ¹Inst. de Ciencies Fotoniques, Spain,²Univ. of St. Andrews, UK

Course Description
This course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of OPO devices from basic operation principles to advanced systems. The course will begin with a discussion of the fundamental concepts and the critical design issues, leading to a review of the current status of OPO technology. The discussion will encompass devices operating in all time-scales from the CW to the ultrafast femtosecond regime. Topics to be included are the generation of THz radiation through parametric processes, fiber OPOs and fiber-laser-pumped OPOs.

Specifically, the course participants will learn about the basic principles of parametric generation and amplification; OPO design issues, including material and pump laser selection criteria; birefringent and quasi-phase-matched materials and devices; OPO threshold conditions, resonator design, focusing and tuning behavior; CW OPOs, including singly- and multi-resonant oscillators; externally and internally pumped devices; stability requirements; amplitude and frequency control; pulsed OPOs, including compact all-solid-state oscillators, high- and low-energy devices, linewidth control, and material damage issues; picosecond OPOs, including high-repetition-rate CW and pulsed mode-locked OPOs; all-solid-state, Nd-based and Ti:sapphire-pumped systems; visible to mid-infrared pulse generation; quasi-phase-matched devices; femtosecond OPOs, including Ti:sapphire-pumped oscillators, noncritical, noncollinear and compact semi-monolithic devices, quasi-phase-matched and mid-infrared OPOs, spectral and temporal control; commercial developments in OPO devices from the CW to femtosecond operating regime; and the generation of THz radiation through parametric processes.

Benefits and Learning Objectives
This course should enable you to:

• Understand the basic principles of optical parametric generation and amplification of light.
• Learn the operating principles of optical parametric devices, in particular optical parametric oscillators (OPOs). Gain a detailed understanding of nonlinear gain, phase-matching, threshold conditions, resonator design, tuning, spectral and temporal behavior.
• Identify the critical issues, particularly material and laser pump source selection, in the design of optical parametric devices.
• Acquire the practical skills and apply the necessary procedures in the construction of OPO devices.
• Learn the necessary techniques for spatial, spectral, and temporal control of OPO devices.
• Gain a perspective of current technology of OPO devices and the important recent developments in the field.

Intended Audience
This course is intended for researchers with little or no background in OPOs as well as for those familiar with the subject area who wish to enhance their understanding and update their knowledge of the emerging developments in the field. The course will benefit researchers in both industry and academia.

Instructor Biographies
Majid Ebrahim-Zadeh is an Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA) Professor at the Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques (ICFO), Barcelona, Spain. His research in experimental nonlinear optics and laser device technology extends over 20 years. He has published more than 250 technical papers and communications, including 38 invited papers and tutorials and 9 post-deadline papers at major international conferences. He has co-edited 2 books including Mid-Infrared Coherent Sources and Applications (Springer, 2007), and has authored and coauthored 10 major book chapters and invited reviews including OSA Handbook of Optics (2000), Solid-State Mid-Infrared Laser Sources (Springer, 2003), Handbook of Laser Technology and Applications (2003), and Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond. A (2003). Majid has served as sub-committee chair of CLEO/USA, as regular committee member of CLEO/USA,CLEO/Europe, SPIE/Photonics West, and Nonlinear Guided Waves Conference. He has served as advisory editor of Opt. Lett., guest editor of J. Opt. Soc. Am., and is currently a topical editor of Opt. Lett. He serves on the Joint Council on Quantum Electronics (USA), International Council on Quantum Electronics, Steering Committee of CLEO/IQEC (USA), and advisory board of International Conferences on Materials and Technologies. His awards include Royal Society Research Fellowship (1993-2001), Royal Society Merit Award (1995, 1999), and Innova Prize for innovation and Enterprise (2004). He is a fellow of the Optical Society of America.

Malcolm H. Dunn is a professor of photonics at the University of St. Andrews. His research in laser physics and nonlinear optics extends more than 40 years and presently encompasses OPOs and their applications, diode-pumped lasers, electromagnetically induced transparency, and the generation and applications of THz-radiation. He is joint director of the Photonics Innovation Centre at the University of St. Andrews, aimed at bridging the gap between university research and industry, and is director of the photonics company PhotoSynergy Ltd. He is currently engaged in an initiative to establish the Institute of Medical Science and Technology, a joint venture between the Universities of Dundee and St Andrews. He was vice-principal (Research) for the University of St. Andrews from 2001-2003.