High-conversion-efficiency tunable mid-infrared BaGaSe optical parametric oscillator pumped by a 2.79-μm laser.

A mid-infrared BaGaSe optical parametric oscillator with high conversion efficiency and beam quality is demonstrated, which is pumped by a 2.79-μm electro-optically Q-switched Cr, Er:YSGG laser. A pulse energy of 3.5 mJ with a pulse width of 21 ns at 10 Hz is obtained in the range of 3.94-9.55 μm, and the beam quality factors are measured to be Mx2=5.0 and My2=4.6. The optical-to-optical conversion efficiency is 18.9%, and the slope efficiency is 31.6%, which is a 59% improvement on the best of the previously reported slope efficiencies for BaGaSe-based OPOs.