Patent ID: 8817831

Claim:
A UV laser comprising: a) a laser resonator for generating an infrared beam, said infrared beam propagating in a preselected infrared beam direction; or for generating second harmonic beam from intracavity second harmonic generation; b) a main compartment for said laser resonator, said main compartment having a preselected length; c) said main compartment having an exit port at one end to allow propagation of output beam from said main compartment; d) a UV compartment sealed from said main compartment in optical communication with said exit port to receive beam propagating from said resonator; e) a second harmonic generator located within said main compartment or within said UV compartment in optical communication with said infrared beam to generate a second harmonic beam; said second harmonic beam and said infrared beam propagating on the same beam path from the said second harmonic generator; f) said UV compartment located adjacent to and extending along the length of said main compartment; said UV compartment having a first end remote from said exit port and a second end proximate said exit port; g) a UV generating crystal located in said UV compartment in optical communication with said exit port for converting infrared and second harmonic beams into a third harmonic UV beam of a preselected wavelength or second harmonic beam into a fourth harmonic UV beam of a preselected wavelength; h) beams propagating from said UV nonlinear crystal on a UV crystal beam path adjacent to one side of the main compartment; said UV crystal beam path having first end proximate to said UV nonlinear crystal and a second end remote from said UV crystal; i) said beams propagating from said UV generating crystal expanding during propagation along said UV crystal beam path; j) a wavelength separator located along said UV beam path at said second end of said UV generating crystal to spatially separate said UV beam from non UV beams; k) said wavelength separator directing the UV beam on a separate path from said non UV beams; said UV beam propagating from said wavelength separator in the opposite direction as said beams emerging from said UV generating crystal; said separate path adjacent to the outside of said main compartment; l) a UV beam outlet in optical communication with said UV beam propagating from said wavelength separator said UV beam outlet located at said second end of said UV compartment, said UV beam propagating from said UV beam outlet being substantially free of frequencies other than said UV wavelength.