Abstract:
A backward-wave parametric oscillator is disclosed in which the active medium is an antimony sulfur iodide (SbSI) single crystal of high resistivity. The crystal is cut into a cubical shape with faces normal to its principal crystalline axes. Preferably, a collinear phase match of two near-infrared forward waves and one backward wave is obtained in the Y-crystalline axis direction, which is a principal axis direction. A strong nonlinear effect is obtained without double refraction. A technique is disclosed for growing SbSI crystals in a special configuration imposing a liquid surface in the path of growth, to circumvent the needleforming growth-rate anisotropy.