United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Karl W Koch, Iii

Gerald T Moore

Mark T Gruneisen

Eric C Cheung

Stephen H Chakmakjian

The present invention is a beam scanner for use about a nonlinear optical crystal for frequency conversion. The scanner oscillates the high power laser beam passing through the crystal to reduce heat damage and does not change the direction or the position of the beam upon exiting the scanner. A pair of thick optical plates are affixed to a driven axle being parallel to the laser beam direction. The first plate is mounted at a given angle to the axle and the second plate is mounted at the same but negative angle to the axle so that they are mirror images about the crystal. As the axle rotates, the laser beam moves through the crystal in a cylindrical pattern and due to the manner of mounting the plates, the exiting laser beam is not displaced from the original beam direction or position. The beam scanner may be inserted into an existing optical resonator, for example, without modifications thereto.

Optical beam scanner with rotating transmissive optics

Optical frequency doubling apparatus is disclosed having a system output portion and a source of coherent radiation together with a plurality of discreet nonlinear light transmissive devices positioned in series between the source of coherent radiation and the system output portion, and further including a phase shifter positioned in series with the nonlinear light transmissive devices for altering the phase of light wavefronts passing therethrough. A harmonic beamsplitter is used to separate the frequency doubled output from the coherent light inputted into the system by the source of coherent radiation.

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Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

Karl W Koch, Iii