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Frequency combs have triggered an impressive evolution of optical metrology across diverse regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, from the ultraviolet to the terahertz frequencies. An unexplored territory, however, remains in the region of vibrational bending modes, mostly due to the lack of single-mode lasers in the long-wavelength (LW) part of the mid-infrared (MIR) spectrum. We fill this gap through a purely MIR-based nonlinear laser source with tunability from 12.1 to 14.8 $��$m, optical power up to 110 $��$W, MHz-level linewidth and comb calibration. This enables the first example of bending modes metrology in this region, with the assessment of several CO$_2$-based frequency benchmarks with uncertainties down to 30 kHz, and the accurate study of the $��_{11}$ band of benzene, which is a significant testbed for the resolution of the spectrometer. These achievements pave the way for LW-MIR metrology, rotationally-resolved studies and astronomic observations of large molecules, such as aromatic hydrocarbons., 36 pages including Supplementary Materials, 4 figures (paper), 3 figures (SM)

We report the generation of tunable continuous-wave (cw) mid-infrared (mid-IR) radiation across 4608–4694 nm using the new nonlinear material, orientation-patterned gallium phosphide (OP-GaP). By exploiting difference-frequency mixing between a cw Tm-fiber laser and a home-built cw optical parametric oscillator in a 40-mm-long crystal, we have generated up to 43 mW of cw output power, with >30 mW across >95% of the mid-IR tuning range. The output at 4608 nm exhibits high beam quality with a passive power stability of 2.5% rms over 1.5 min. The temperature acceptance bandwidth of the OP-GaP crystal has been measured and compared with theory. The performance of the mid-IR source at high pump powers and polarization-dependent transmission in OP-GaP has been investigated.

We demonstrate a novel hybrid model for semiconductor mode-locked lasers by combining the merits of a traveling-wave model for the active regions and a split-step Fourier algorithm for the extended passive cavity.

We report a high-repetition-rate femtosecond optical parametric oscillator (OPO) for the deep-infrared (deep-IR) based on the nonlinear optical crystal, CdSiP 2 (CSP), pumped directly by a Ti:sapphire laser, for the first time. By pumping CSP at 7 mW beyond 8000 nm, with idler spectra exhibiting bandwidths of 140-180 nm across the tuning range. Moreover, the near-IR signal is tunable across 1127-1192 nm, providing up to 37 mW of average power at 1150 nm. Signal pulses, characterized using intensity autocorrelation, have durations of ~260-320 fs, with corresponding time-bandwidth product of ΔυΔτ ~ 1. The idler and signal output exhibit a TEM00 spatial profile with single-peak Gaussian distribution. With an equivalent spectral brightness of ~6.68 × 10 20 photons s -1 mm -2 sr -1 0.1% BW -1 , this OPO represents a viable alternative to synchrotron and supercontinuum sources for deep-IR applications in spectroscopy, metrology, and medical diagnostics.