Broadly tunable, medium linewidth laser radiation in the 400-2500nm range (or 210-2500nm with optional second harmonic generation)
Pro-Lite Technology - a specialist photonics distributor - has released the VisIR2-ULD from German OPO specialist GWU.
The VisIR2-ULD (standing for 'ultra low divergence') is the latest member of GWU's OPO family.
Based on GWU's successful VisIR2 midband OPO, the ULD offers an enhanced level of beam quality for applications where the OPO beam will be delivered over a long distance, for example in multipass absorption or atmospheric Lidar applications.
The GWU VisIR2 is a midband OPO which employs a type II phase-matched crystal of BBO pumped at 355nm by the third harmonic output of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.
Unlike type I systems, the linewidth and hence spectral density of the VisIR2 remains constant (at approximately 4 cm-1) as the OPO tunes.
As with a type I OPO, the actual linewidth of the VisIR2 is a function of the pulse width of the pump laser, with longer pulses promoting narrower linewidths. Linewidths as narrow as 2cm-1 have been reported using pump pulses of about 10-12ns.
The signal and idler waves from the VisIR2 are orthogonally polarised, which effectively eliminates the characteristic degeneracy gap in an OPO's tuning range at 710nm.
Tuning is via manual micrometer as standard, but the VisIR2 is available with an optional stepper motor drive with PC software (including LabView drivers) at extra cost.
The motor drive is also available for end-user upgrade.
The output of the new VisIR2-ULD is a circularly symmetric round beam with divergence of just 0.5mrad.
All other specifications are similar to those of the standard VisIR2 and the ULD model is available with the same, optional second harmonic generation and separation unit with motorised scan control with on-board self-calibration using GWU's new Lambda-Meter accessory.
This extends the tuning range of the OPO down to 210nm.
The VisIR2-ULD is available as a stand-alone OPO for pumping by the user's own Nd:YAG laser.
Alternatively, Pro-Lite offers a compact OPO-Integra package which seamlessly combines the OPO and pump laser into a single, pre-aligned and space-efficient package that dispenses with the need for an optical table.
The Integra system is also ideal for applications where the OPO needs to be transported, such as in-field Lidar experiments.
GWU is an acknowledged worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) based on crystals of BBO, LBO, and KTP.
In 1989, GWU became the first company in the world to introduce a commercial BBO OPO and the company has maintained its pre-eminence in the OPO field with an unrivalled blend of technical innovation, expert support, proven specifications and demonstrable reliability, says Pro-Lite. GWU's OPOs are today relied upon in demanding photobiological, photochemical, medical diagnostic, and environmental applications, including mass spectrometry, laser induced fluorescence, Lidar and remote sensing, Cars, multi photon absorption spectroscopy, combustion chemistry and in the study of non-linear materials.
GWU currently supplies OPOs used in the nanosecond, picosecond and femtosecond regimes which provide the convenience of all-solid state access to the spectral range from 200nm to greater than 4.0 microns.
