Market study for supercontinuum laser sources based on frequency domain optical parametric generation.

光提供了一个理想的工具来分析材料，由于其组成的各种频率对应于不同的能量。对材料进行鉴定和定性的一个先决条件是获得其化学成分。这是由中红外光子学（2至20微米）给出的，其频率与材料中振动模式的自然尺度相匹配。预计在未来几年，这一重要的研究和技术活动领域将出现巨大的经济增长。许多工业和医疗应用需要在此特定光谱范围内工作的可靠光源和检测器。虽然今天在这个范围内的一般激光源是窄带和可调谐或宽带，但限于低于2.4微米，我们提出了一种新的方法，以提供所有需要的频率一次。这种称为频域光学参数产生（FOPG）的方法不需要复杂的飞秒激光器，而只需要简单的纳秒驱动激光器就可以在空间相干光束中产生超连续谱光。我们将使用专门设计的扇出晶体来在频域中产生光学参数。当被强纳秒激光泵浦时，该晶体内的特定周期会导致特定的频率分量，使得所有产生的频率彼此排列在一起。所有产生的频率通过傅立叶光学处理组合成单个光束。我们有初步的结果表明，在1.5至2微米的范围内的FOPG的概念。下一步，我们将使用商用光学和激光元件，将这一概念转移到3至5微米的中红外光谱范围，其众多光谱应用可用于制造过程控制、环境和安全监控以及防御措施。

Light provides an ideal tool to analyze materials, due to its composition of various frequencies which correspond to different energies. A prerequisite for the identification and characterization of materials is access to their chemical composition. This is given by mid-infrared photonics (2 to 20 microns) whose frequencies match the natural scales of vibrational modes in materials. A tremendous economic growth is expected in the upcoming years in this important field of research and technological activities. Numerous industrial and medical applications require reliable light sources and detectors operating in this specific spectral range. While today's general laser sources in this range are either narrowband and tunable or broadband but limited to below 2.4 microns, we propose a new approach to deliver all required frequencies at once. This approach, called Frequency domain Optical Parametric Generation (FOPG) does not require complex femtosecond lasers but only a simple nanosecond driving laser to enable supercontinuum light generation in a spatially coherent beam. We will use a specially designed fan-out crystal for the optical parametric generation in the frequency domain. A certain period within this crystal leads to a certain frequency component when pumped by a strong nanosecond laser, such that all generated frequencies appear lined up besides each other. All generated frequencies are combined into a single beam by Fourier optical processing. We have preliminary results demonstrating the concept of FOPG in the range of 1.5 to 2 microns. As a next step, using commercial optical and laser components, we will transfer this concept to the mid-infrared spectral range of 3 to 5 microns, with its numerous spectroscopic applications for process control in manufacturing, environmental and security monitoring, and counter-measures for defense purposes.