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Femtosecond nonlinear frequency conversion based on BiB3O6

  1. V. Petrov,
  2. M. Ghotbi1,2,
  3. O. Kokabee2,
  4. A. Esteban-Martin2,
  5. F. Noack1,
  6. A. Gaydardzhiev1,3,
  7. I. Nikolov3,
  8. P. Tzankov1,
  9. I. Buchvarov3,
  10. K. Miyata1,4,
  11. A. Majchrowski5,
  12. I.V. Kityk6,
  13. F. Rotermund1,7,
  14. E. Michalski5,
  15. M. Ebrahim-Zadeh2,8

Article first published online: 8 JUN 2009

DOI: 10.1002/lpor.200810075

Issue

Laser & Photonics Reviews

Laser & Photonics Reviews

Special Issue: 50 Years of Laser

Volume 4, Issue 1, pages 53–98, January 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Petrov, V., Ghotbi, M., Kokabee, O., Esteban-Martin, A., Noack, F., Gaydardzhiev, A., Nikolov, I., Tzankov, P., Buchvarov, I., Miyata, K., Majchrowski, A., Kityk, I.V., Rotermund, F., Michalski, E. and Ebrahim-Zadeh, M. (2010), Femtosecond nonlinear frequency conversion based on BiB3O6. Laser & Photon. Rev., 4: 53–98. doi: 10.1002/lpor.200810075

Author Information

  1. 1

    Max-Born-Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Ultrafast Spectroscopy, Max-Born-Str. 2A, 12489 Berlin, Germany

  2. 2

    ICFO – Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, Mediterranean Technology Park, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain

  3. 3

    Department of Physics, Sofia University, 5 James Bourchier Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria

  4. 4

    Chitose Institute of Science and Technology, 758-65 Bibi, Chitose, Hokkaido, 066-8655, Japan

  5. 5

    Institute of Applied Physics, Military University of Technology, 2 Kaliskiego Str., 00-908 Warsaw, Poland

  6. 6

    Chemical Department, Silesian Technological University, 9 M. Strzody, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland

  7. 7

    Division of Energy Systems Research, Ajou University, 443-749 Suwon, Republic of Korea

  8. 8

    Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats (ICREA), Passeig Lluis Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 4 JAN 2010
  2. Article first published online: 8 JUN 2009
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 23 MAR 2009
  4. Manuscript Revised: 3 MAR 2009
  5. Manuscript Received: 25 NOV 2008

Funded by

  • DAAD (German-Bulgarian exchange programme). Grant Numbers: D/05/11319, D/07/00333
  • Bulgarian Ministry of Science and Education (NSF grants). Grant Numbers: D01-81/2006, D01-619/2007, D01-1174/2008
  • EU (Laserlab Europe). Grant Number: RII3-CT-2003-506350
  • Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (Consolider Program). Grant Number: CSD2007-00013
  • European Community's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2011. Grant Number: 224042

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Keywords:

  • Bismuth triborate;
  • biaxial nonlinear crystals;
  • monoclinic symmetry;
  • phase matching;
  • effective nonlinearity;
  • three-wave interactions;
  • spectral acceptance;
  • parametric gain bandwidth;
  • femtosecond pulses;
  • second-harmonic generation;
  • synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillators;
  • optical parametric amplifiers;
  • optical parametric generators;
  • white-light continuum generation and amplification;
  • pulse compression.

Abstract

We review the physical properties, linear and nonlinear optical characteristics, and phase-matching configurations of BiB3O6 (BIBO), the first low-symmetry (monoclinic) inorganic nonlinear crystal that has found broad applications for frequency conversion of laser sources from the UV, across the visible, to the near-IR based on three-wave interactions. We describe in detail the most relevant optical properties that make this material an attractive candidate for nonlinear frequency conversion of laser light in general, and ultrafast femtosecond laser sources in particular. With special focus on ultrafast frequency conversion, characteristics such as group-velocity mismatch and spectral acceptance, parametric gain bandwidth, group-velocity dispersion, as well as angular acceptance and spatial walk-off are evaluated and optimum configurations for the attainment of maximum conversion efficiency, minimum pulse duration, and highest spatial beam quality are identified and compared with the most widely established alternative borate crystal, β-BaB2O4. Experimental results are presented on both parametric up- and down-conversion of femtosecond pulses, from the high-energy, low-repetition-rate (1 kHz) to the low-energy, high-repetition-rate (56–76 MHz) regime, demonstrating the unique versatility of BIBO for efficient frequency conversion of femtosecond pulses with broad tunability from 250 nm in the UV, throughout the visible, up to ∼ 3000 nm in the IR.

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