Tunable mid-infrared generation in cesium lithium borate crystal

Abstract

Generation of tunable mid-infrared radiation has been done in a cesium lithium borate (CsLiB6O10, CLBO) crystal for the first time employing type-I noncollinear difference frequency mixing of Q-switched Nd:YAG (or its second harmonic) and the tunable dye-laser radiation (0.605-0.725 μm). In the process a quantum conversion efficiency of approximately 5.5% has been realized for the generation of 1.85 μm in only a 5 mm long crystal when the used peak power density of the pump dye-laser (0.675 μm) beam is as low as 12.7 MW/cm2.