Abstract: A wavelength convertor includes a beam splitter which splits a pulsed laser beam at wavelength ?p into a first higher power pulse portion and a second low power pulse portion. A fiber super continuum (SC) generator is coupled to receive the second pulse portion which converts the second pulse portion into a SC pulse having a bandwidth of >100 nm including a narrow spectral portion at wavelength ?s. An optical parametric amplifier (OPA) having a periodically poled material is included with domains arranged to provided quasi-phase matching for amplification at ?s and pumping at ?p. The arrival of the SC pulse portion at ?s and the first pulse portion at the OPA is synchronized to overlap in time. The OPA is seeded by the SC pulse portion at ?s and pumped by the first pulse portion to provide an amplified OPA seed at ?s.

Abstract: Devices for increasing the power handling capability through increased aperture size of patterned poled nonlinear optical material are disclosed. One embodiment employs a prism bonded to the top surface of a plate (a surface parallel to the plate) of poled material. The faces of the prism provide entrance and exit windows for light. Light enters the prism, enters the first surface of the plate at a small angle, reflects from the bottom surface of the plate and then exits the device through the prism exit window. The plate exerts a nonlinear effect on the light. Higher power handling is achieved because, compared to prior art techniques, the light is spread over a larger area in the poled plate. A second embodiment provides for the same advantages by bonding several plates to form a single unit. The plates are stacked, aligned, and bonded together. The result is a single unit with a larger aperture and therefore higher optical power handling capability than is possible with a single plate.

Abstract: A new class of solid-state laser which employs self-pumping from internal laser transitions to achieve inversion in other transitions. A LiYF.sub.4 laser having an activator of trivalent holmium is pumped by a standard flashlamp or by a doubled Nd laser to populate the .sup.5 S.sub.2 manifold. Inversion is achieved between .sup.5 S.sub.2 and .sup.5 I.sub.5 at 1.4 .mu.m. Employing appropriate mirrors, inversion is then produced between .sup.5 I.sub.5 and .sup.5 I.sub.7 at 1.7 .mu.m. Finally inversion is obtained between .sup.5 I.sub.7 and .sup.5 I.sub.8 at 2.06 .mu.m.