Abstract

Zinc Germanium Phosphide, ZnGeP₂, is a promising non-linear optical material for use as an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). It has a wide transparency range (~0.7 to 12 microns), large d-coefficients (d_eff about 3x AgGaSe₂), and is phase-matchable over the entire mid-infrared region of the spectrum. Its application has been limited, however, by 1) the unavailability of large, homogeneous crack-free samples and 2) by an anomalous high absorption at short wavelengths (<2.5 µm). We have made significant strides toward overcoming these obstacles.

© 1991 Optical Society of America