Upconversion blue laser by intracavity frequency self-doubling of periodically poled lithium tantalate parametric oscillator

We report a design for upconversion 435 nm blue lasers based on simultaneously fulfilling the nonlinear processes of optical parametric oscillation (OPO) and second-harmonic generation (SHG) in a 7.9 mu m periodically poled lithium tantalate (PPLT). The uncoated 15-mm-long PPLT device exhibits a low threshold of 150 mW and a differential slope efficiency of 22.6%, rendering 56 mW blue generation when pumped by a pulsed 532 nm green laser with an average power rating of 400 mW. These observations were attributed to a quasi-phase-matching (QPM) structural design with a 75% domain duty cycle to ensure the concurrence of frequency doubling with the first-order QPM-OPO PPLT device via the second-order QPM-SHG process. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America