Zinc-indiffused MgO:PPLN waveguides for blue/UV generation via VECSEL pumping

Alan C. Gray, Jonathan R. C. Woods, Lewis G. Carpenter, Hermann Kahle, Sam A. Berry, Anne C. Tropper, Mircea Guina, Vasilis Apostolopoulos, Peter G. R. Smith, and Corin B. E. Gawith

Abstract

We present the design and characterization of a zinc-indiffused periodically poled lithium-niobate ridge waveguide for second-harmonic generation of _390 nm light from 780 nm. We use a newly developed, broadband near infrared vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) to investigate the potential for lower-footprint nonlinear optical pump sources as an alternative to larger commercial laser systems. We demonstrate a VECSEL with an output power of 500 mW, containing an intracavity birefringent filter for spectral narrowing and wavelength selection. In this first demonstration of using a VECSEL to pump a nonlinear waveguide, we present the ability to generate 1mWof_390 nmlight with further potential for increased efficiency and size reduction.