High-power PPMgLN-based optical parametric oscillator pumped by a linearly polarized, semi-fiber-coupled acousto-optic Q-switched fiber master oscillator power amplifier

We have experimentally demonstrated a periodically poled magnesium-oxide-doped lithium niobate (PPMgLN)-based, fiber-laser-pumped optical parametric oscillator (OPO) generating idler wavelength of 3.82 mu m. The pump fiber laser was constructed with a linearly polarized, semi-fiber-coupled acousto-optic Q-switched fiber oscillator and a polarization-maintaining fiber amplifier with pulse duration of 190 ns at the highest output power. The OPO was specifically configured in single-pass, singly resonant linear cavity structure to avoid the damage risk of the pump fiber laser, which is always a serious issue in the fiber-laser-pumped, double-pass, singly oscillating structured OPOs. Under the highest pump power of 25 W, an idler average output power of 3.27 W with one-hour peak-to-peak instability of 5.2% was obtained. The measured M-2 factors were 1.98 and 1.44 for horizontal and vertical axis, respectively. The high power stability and good beam quality demonstrated the suitability of such technology for practical application. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America