Development of Efficient, Diode-Pumped 3-5 Micron Oscillators for Remote Sensing

Spectrally and spatially coherent, high pulse energy, tunable mid-IR sources remain elusive. Solid-State and semiconductor lasers do not operate over the 1.5 to 5 micron wavelength range, leaving laser-pumped frequency converters, such as Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPOs), as the most viable technology. Achieving high conversion efficiency and continuous tunability in rugged OPOs has presented significant design challenges until a recent breakthrough occurred in nonlinear optics-the so-called Quasi-Phase-Matched (QPM) crystals. QPM-based OPOs overcome these and other disadvantages of conventional OPOs as well as provide new approaches to power-scaling. Coherent Technologies, Inc. (CTI) is developing OPOs with a variety of new QPM crystals, including niobates, arsenates and GaAs. We present new power-scaleable Benefits: Sensing pollution and chemical warfare agents. 2) Detection clandestine drug production. 3) Monitor hazardous waste and munitions disposal. 4) Tracking naturally occurring gas emitters: methane seeps and volcanoes. 5) Multispectral imaging and particle-sizing lidars 6) Stand-off assessment of explosion hazards such as fuel leaks.l