High idler conversion with an intracavity optical parametric oscillator and difference frequency generation

Tunable mid IR generation is analyzed with an optical parametric oscillator (OSO) and difference frequency generation (DFG) based on two periodically poled gratings. To obtain chirped-pulse amplification techniques, in the difference frequency generation the group-velocity must be matched. If grating periods are selected, appropriately, the wider tunable range of output pulse can be obtained. Because the group velocity is matched, the parametric bandwidth and the maximum effective length will be enhanced. We theoretically demonstrate high idler conversion in a femtosecond optical parametric oscillators with two different and cascaded periodically poled gratings. In the first grating the signal and the idler 1 are generated, while in the second one, the midwave infrared idler 2 is generated. The dependence of the lengths of the two cavities on the conversion efficiency is discussed.