ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the resonance conditions influence the stability requirements for maintaining single mode-pair outputs within a continuous wave optical parametric oscillators. Continuous-wave thresholds at the mW-level are reliably obtained from such devices. However, to operate a doubly resonant oscillator, four conditions must be satisfied simultaneously; energy-conservation, phase-matching, and cavity resonances for the signal and idler frequencies. The signal and idler oscillation frequencies will be determined as a compromise between the optimum phase-matching condition and the requirement that the frequencies must satisfy the conservation of energy and lie close to a resonant mode of the cavity. Pairs of signal and idler modes that satisfy energy conservation are termed mode-pairs. In addition to the mode-hop and stability criteria, the detuning required to produce a cluster-hop is also of interest. The position of the mode clusters with respect to optimum phase-matching depends on the specific cavity configuration.
