Abstract

The properties of reflectance and transmittance, absorption losses, and laser-induced-damage thresholds are important characteristics of optical components and coatings used in lasers and nonlinear optical devices.^1,2 Typically, measurements are performed with laser radiation to provide angular resolution, polarization dependence, and high intensity. However, a single laser has only a narrow spectral range or a few a fixed wavelengths at the harmonics of the laser output. The continuously tunable, intense, coherent radiation generated by optical parametric oscillators (OPO’s) allows more extensive characterization over a wide spectral range.

© 2002 Optical Society of America