GENERATION OF TUNABLE, NARROW-BAND MIDINFRARED RADIATION THROUGH A 532-NM-PUMPED KTP OPTICAL PARAMETRIC-AMPLIFIER

We report generation of broadly tunable (2.5-4 mu m), narrow-band (0.0 4-0.35 cm(-1)) pulsed infrared radiation through a nanosecond optical parametric amplifier based on potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) pumped by the second harmonic of a 10-Hz Nd:YAG laser. Input radiation at si gnal wavelengths of 615-662 nm was derived from a pulsed tunable dye l aser system. Advantages of this device are simplicity, the broad range of infrared wavelengths to which a single dye in the dye laser provid es access, and conversion efficiencies >10% at modest levels (<150 mu J) of input radiation. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America