Fiber optical parametric oscillators: a new avenue into the wavelength-tunable ultrafast domain

Jay Sharping
University of California at Merced

Fiber optical parametric oscillators (FOPOs) are wavelength conversion devices that extend the functionality of fiber lasers. They are well suited for multi-photon diagnostic applications, such as multi-photon fluorescence imaging and coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, there is great potential for further fiber-integration which will lead to devices that have similar performance to Ti-, Nd-, and Cr-doped solid state lasers, but are less cumbersome and have a dramatically smaller footprint. Fiber-based devices promise to dramatically extend the adaptation of ultrafast technology into new research areas. A recent surge in the development of new types of optical fiber such as photonic crystal fibers and photonic bandgap fibers has given us unprecedented control over the linear and nonlinear optical properties of these waveguides.

I will discuss recent results in FOPO development that are especially promising because they suggest an avenue for producing tunable pulsed light extending throughout the wavelength range from 700 nm up to 1400 nm.