Pulse-shape improvement during amplification and second-harmonic generation of picosecond pulses at 531 nm

We study second-harmonic generation of picosecond pulses in bulk periodically poled lithium niobate using an all-semiconductor master oscillator-power amplifier with gain-switched seed as our fundamental source. Both during amplification and during the subsequent second-harmonic generation, the signal pulse shape improves, and the resulting pulses at 531 nm are nearly independent of the seed pump conditions. Over a wide range of repetition rates and seed settings, we obtain green pulses with a duration of less than 31 ps FWHM and a peak power of more than 5.1 W. We further investigate the influence of the fundamental's spectral dynamics on pulsed second-harmonic generation efficiency and obtain excellent agreement between our measurements and previously published theoretical treatments. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America