Ultra Narrowband Optical Parametric Oscillator

Presently there are no broadly tenable, narrow linewidth souces that operate throughout the mid-infrared (mid-IR) region of the spectrum, from 1 to 5 microns. Traditional sources have very low spectral brightness (low power per unit spectral bandwidth). This proposal describes a novel approach to produce a source with very high spectral brightness, tunable over the range of 1.1 to 4.3 microns. This source is an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pumped directly by a single frequency laser diode. The technical approach to this device has a number of ;novel features. It uses the new nonlinear material periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN). It also uses a total internal reflection resonator, removing the limitations of coating bandwidth. The availability of improved pump sources, higher quality non-linear material, and improved cavity control techniques make development of this source possible.The OPO will be designed, assembled, tested and characterized on this Phase I program. The result of the Phase I program will be a thorough understanding of the properties of the device, and the requirements for frequency stabilization of the output.