Gw. Baxter et al., BACKCONVERSION IN A PULSED OPTICAL PARAMETRIC OSCILLATOR - EVIDENCE FROM INJECTION-SEEDED SIDE-BAND, Journal of the Optical Society of America. B, Optical physics, 14(10), 1997, pp. 2723-2730
A pulsed optical parametric oscillator (OPO) is pumped at 355 nm and i
njection seeded at two distinct idler wavelengths at similar to 855 nm
; these are separated by a frequency interval a falling within the 350
-GHz free-running OPO bandwidth. Above-threshold operation of this dua
l-frequency seeded OPO causes sidebands to be observed at multiples of
ii in the spectrum of the 607-nm signal radiation. The sideband spaci
ng varies smoothly as Delta is tuned (with the injection-seeded OPO ca
vity misaligned to reduce its effective finesse), and corresponding si
debands are observed on the transmitted 35-nm pump radiation. This is
interpreted as direct evidence of backconversion of signal and idler w
aves in a pulsed OPO, consistent with previous temporal observations a
nd other aspects of OPO performance. Signal-wave sidebands are observe
d well beyond the regular free-running OPO gain profile, which is unde
rstood in terms of the different phase-matching conditions for the var
ious OPO pump and idler (seed) frequencies that are involved. (C) 1997
Optical Society of America.