Tutorial on optical parametric processes and devices

Progresses in nonlinear optical materials research and laser pump source development have led to rapid advances in many areas of optical parametric device technology in recent years. One particularly active area has been broadly tunable femtosecond sources. This tutorial begins with a review of the fundamentals of parametric processes. It is followed by a brief review of some of the more recent advances in femtosecond optical parametric oscillators, covering the spectral range from the visible to the mid-infrared.