Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
Infrared pulses, continuously tunable in the 3–19 μm range, and with up to 1MW peak power, have been achieved using single-stage frequency conversion in a travelling-wave optical parametric generator (OPG) based on ZnGeP2, CdSe and GaSe crystals. The OPG was pumped by 100ps pulses from an actively mode-locked, Q-switched and cavity dumped 2.8 μm Cr,Er:YSGG laser. The quantum conversion efficiency reached 17%.