Abstract

The microchip laser based on a slice of gain material, onto which a layer of saturable absorber is deposited, is proven to be a robust source of (sub-) nanosecond (ns) pulses with high peak power for parametric wavelength tuning applications. Although its application for the mid-IR wavelength conversion has already been demonstrated, the demand for highly precise and compact remote spectroscopy tools prompts us towards their further miniaturization while gaining peak power and repetition rate. In this Report, we describe a compact near- to mid-IR source that is based on optical parametric generation in periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN) driven by aNd:YAG microchip laser.

© 2007 IEEE