Abstract

An optical parametric oscillator (OPO) converts with high efficiency an input wave of frequency f _p into two subharmonic waves, signal f₁ and idler f₂, which must obey energy conservation: f₁ + f₂ = f_p. A measurement of the signal-idler beat frequency f₁₂ = f₁ - f₂ therefore precisely determines the output frequencies f_1,2 = (f_p ± f₁₂)/2. The beat frequency is in general phase locked to a tunable microwave reference frequency such that the OPO performs the function of tunable optical frequency division.^[1]

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