Mitsubishi Materials Corporation

Tamotsu Sugawara

Ryuichi Komatsu

Hiroyuki Shiraishi

Masakuni Takahashi

Yasuhiro Hanaue

Genta Masada

Noriko Watanabe

Tsuyoshi Kajitani

Yasuhiro Ono

Valentin Petrov

A laser apparatus includes a wavelength conversion device composed of single crystal lithium tetraborate for converting a wavelength by passing an incident laser beam therethrough. The relationship between the orientation of the crystal axis of the single-crystal lithium tetraborate and the direction of incidence of the laser beam is determined so as to prevent beam walk-off from occurring in the laser beam propagating through the conversion device. A method of converting a wavelength by passing an incident laser beam through a wavelength conversion device composed of single-crystal lithium tetraborate is also disclosed.

Wavelength conversion device composed of single-crystal lithium tetraborate, laser apparatus provided with the same and method of converting wavelength using the same

A borate single crystal which can stably perform light wavelength conversion with high efficiency down to the ultraviolet region is represented by the chemical formula (A O).(B O ) , and is an orthorhombic crystal belonging to the P2   space group, wherein A includes two elements selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs, and 1.5<x<2.5.

Borate crystal, growth method of the same and laser equipment using the same

Single-crystal lithium tetraborate (single-crystal Li.sub.2 B.sub.4 O.sub.7 or single-crystal LBO) as an optical converter device which stably operates for a long term, has a long life, and is compact, light and inexpensive, an optical converter device using the single crystal LBO, especially, for emitting light having a wavelength of 500 nm or less, and an optical apparatus using the optical converter device. Coherent light irradiates the light incident face of the single-crystal LBO at a predetermined incident angle, which single-crystal LBO is cut at a predetermined plane to the optical axis in order to satisfy a predetermined phase matching angle, and light having a half wavelength of the incident light is emitted. Preferably, the single-crystal LBO has a refractive index variation of 10.sup.-5 /mm or less and/or a etch-pit density of approximately 1.times.10.sup.3 /cm.sup.2. A first coherent light beam having a first wavelength and a second coherent light beam having a wavelength one-half or one-fourth of the wavelength of the first coherent light beam irradiates the incident face of the single-crystal LBO at a predetermined angle, and at least a coherent light having a wavelength one-third or one-fifth of the wavelength of the first coherent light beam is emitted by sum frequency generation, for example, when light having a wavelength of 209 nm is emitted, the wavelength of the first coherent light is 981 nm and that of the second coherent light is 266 nm.

Single-crystal lithium tetraborate and method making the same, optical

Growing community of inventors

Omiya, Japan

Tamotsu Sugawara