Low-pump-threshold continuous-wave singly resonant optical parametric oscillator.

We describe a compact all-solid-state continuous-wave singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (SRO) with a minimal pump-power requirement. The SRO is based on periodically poled LiNbO(3) as the nonlinear material and is pumped by a 1-W diode-pumped Nd:YVO(4) minilaser at 1.064 microm . By exploiting the intracavity pumping technique in a 50-mm crystal, we have achieved SRO operation threshold at a diode pump power of only 310 mW.At 1 W of input diode power, the SRO delivers 70 mW of output power in the nonresonant idler at 3.66 microm , at a photon conversion efficiency of 55%. Multiparameter tuning of the SRO yields a signal wavelength range from 1.45 to 1.60 microm and an idler wavelength range from 3.16 to 4.02 microm in the mid infrared. The device is characterized by robust turnkey operation and long-term amplitude-stable performance.