Abstract

Noncollinear phase matching in optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) offers several advantages over more conventional collinear phase matching. High efficiencies, low operational thresholds and single resonant oscillation (SRO) are readily obtained. Despite these advantages, and it being first reported in 1969,¹ it has received relatively scant attention. We report noncollinear OPO conversion efficiencies of up to four times the collinear values, and a range of other experimental studies in good agreement with a theoretical model. The results of the model are experimentally verified in type I and type II noncollinear barium borate (BBO) OPOs pumped at 355 nm and 532 nm by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.

© 1994 Optical Society of America