Patent ID: 6498801
Filing Date: 2002-12-24
Classification: G02F,G03F,H01S

Abstract:
A multiple stage solid state laser system for producing an output beam having a wavelength in the ultraviolet range from a beam having a higher wavelength than the output beam, the system comprising:a first stage which produces an input beam; an intermediate stage following the first stage which receives the input beam and produces at least one second beam; and an output stage which receives the at least one second beam from the intermediate stage and which provides the output beam; wherein the first stage comprises a pump laser which produces the input beam having a suitable frequency; the intermediate stage comprises at least one internal stage chosen from the group consisting of: a phase conjugating frequency conversion stage for shifting the frequency of a beam internal to the internal stage from a first frequency to a second frequency using phase conjugation; and a harmonic generation stage for generating an nth harmonic of a beam internal to the internal stage, n being an integer greater than 1; the at least one internal stage of the intermediate stage produces the at least one second beam; the output stage comprises a device chosen from the group consisting of: phase conjugation means for shifting the frequency of the at least one second beam using phase conjugation to produce the output beam; and harmonic generation means for generating an mth harmonic of the at least one second beam to produce the output beam, m being an integer greater than 1; and wherein in the intermediate stage:(i) at least one internal stage receives the input beam; (ii) at least one internal stage produces the at least one second beam; and (iii) all the internal stages are optically linked in a pre-chosen path.