COMPARISON OF LITHIUM TRIBORATE AND BETA-BARIUM BORATE AS NONLINEAR MEDIA FOR OPTICAL PARAMETRIC OSCILLATORS

We compare the relative merits of the new nonlinear materials beta-bar ium borate and lithium triborate for use as gain media in singly reson ant pulsed optical parametric oscillators pumped by either excimer las ers or frequency-upconverted diode-laser-pumped solid-state lasers. Li thium triborate is the material of choice when one requires low-pump-e nergy threshold devices (<3 mJ), as in the case of miniature all-solid -state systems based on diode-laser-pumped solid-state lasers, whereas beta-barium borate is superior in converting the high-energy pump pul ses (>100 mJ) that are associated with excimer lasers.