Generation of microwaves by mixing two optical frequencies in a nonlinear crystal: A novel approach to high-bandwidth optical mixers

Optical mixing of waves separated in frequency by many gigahertz can be accomplished by allowing the waves to mix in a nonlinear medium to generate microwave difference frequencies. This basis for high-bandwidth optical mixers is demonstrated by mixing optical frequencies ~4 GHz apart of a pulsed dye-laser beam at ~660 nm in a LiTaO3 crystal to produce readily detectable microwave power at ~4 GHz. © 1984 Optical Society of America.