Patent ID: 7298545

Claim:
A tunable coherent light source, comprising: a pump laser for generating a pump beam; an optical parametric oscillator including a crystal exhibiting an output curve for a pump beam of a defined wavelength, said output curve defining wavelengths of signal and idler outputs based on periodically poled grating periods of said crystal, said crystal having a plurality of segments associated with a plurality of grating periods of said output curve, each segment of said plurality of segments having a different domain structure, wherein at least one of said plurality of segments comprises a domain structure combining at least two of said grating periods; and a heating device for adjustably heating said crystal to an elevated operating temperature in a temperature range between a minimum temperature and a maximum temperature, said minimum temperature being greater than 100° C., said wavelengths of said signal and idler outputs of each of said segments being adjustable by adjusting said temperature within said temperature range.