Abstract
This thesis describes work carried out on the design, construction and characterisation of two intracavity optical parametric oscillators based on Nd:YVO4 pump lasers and using PPLN as the nonlinear material. Both systems generated narrow linewidth, tunable mid-infrared radiation in the 3-5 µm wavelength range.Two approaches were taken to achieve single frequency operation. The first system was based on a standing-wave cavity design and included a high finesse etalon to suppress spatially hole burnt modes, as well as two solid etalons for control and tuning of the signal field. ~90 mW of stable narrow linewidth idler output and ~16 GHz of mode-hop tuning were achieved. The second system made use of a ring cavity design, thus naturally avoiding multi-mode operation. It also included an etalon in the signal cavity for tuning. Here ~120 mW of single frequency idler was produced with a mode-hop tuning range of ~100 GHz.
Both systems also included a second nonlinear crystal, phase matched for second harmonic generation of the pump field. This very effectively alleviated the long- standing problem of erratic and long-lived bursts of high frequency relaxation oscillations, which have previously stopped systems of this kind from being developed into viable sources for laser spectroscopy.
| Date of Award | 24 Jun 2019 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Malcolm Harry Dunn (Supervisor) |
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