Abstract.
We report on a numerical analysis of the temporal and spatial beam properties of nanosecond optical parametric oscillators (OPOs). The analysis is performed for a 355-nm-pumped critically phase-matched OPO of beta-barium borate. The calculations provide detailed information on the dependence of the OPO beam quality (measured by the quality factor M 2) on pump energy. An important result is the strong increase of the M 2 value for pump energies exceeding 1–2 times the energy at threshold. Furthermore, a temporal analysis of single OPO pulses indicates that the M 2 value strongly increases during the first few nanoseconds of the OPO oscillation. This increase is understood by considering the temporal dynamics of the spatial profiles of the OPO signal beam and the depleted pump radiation.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 1 April 1999 / Revised version: 26 July 1999 / Published online: 20 October 1999
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Urschel, R., Borsutzky, A. & Wallenstein, R. Numerical analysis of the spatial behaviour of nanosecond optical parametric oscillators of beta-barium borate . Appl Phys B 70, 203–210 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003400050033
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003400050033