Tunable Laser Light Sources Advance Quantum Research

A remarkable number of photonic applications call for continuous-wave (cw) laser light that is widely tunable throughout the visible range of the spectrum. However, this spectral region remains difficult to access with conventional tunable laser devices. This is why recently commercialized sources based on cw optical parametric oscillator (OPO) technology have gained market awareness. In this white paper, the basic operating principles of such cw OPOs is discussed, followed by an illustrative example of how these OPOs help researchers analyse colour centers in diamond.

A remarkable number of photonic applications call for continuous-wave (cw) laser light that is widely tunable throughout the visible range of the spectrum. However, this spectral region remains difficult to access with conventional tunable laser devices. This is why recently commercialized sources based on cw optical parametric oscillator (OPO) technology have gained market awareness. In this white paper, the basic operating principles of such cw OPOs is discussed, followed by an illustrative example of how these OPOs help researchers analyse colour centers in diamond.