The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 23, 1994
Filed:
Dec. 03, 1992
Eddy A Stappaerts, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA (US);
Northrop Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
An optical frequency conversion apparatus includes at least one resonator (10) having an optical path defined by a plurality of mirrors (M1, M2). A nonlinear conversion medium (10a) is disposed within the optical path of the resonator, the nonlinear conversion medium receiving optical radiation at a first frequency and outputting optical radiation at a second frequency that is a multiple of the first frequency. One of the plurality of mirrors is an input mirror (M1) for coupling into the resonator a pulse of radiation having the first frequency, and one of the mirrors is an output mirror (M2) for out-coupling a pulse of radiation having a frequency that is a multiple of the first frequency. The input mirror has a predetermined reflectivity that is selected to cause the pulse of radiation to have an intensity sufficient to maximize, with respect to the pulse of radiation, a conversion efficiency of the nonlinear medium, without exceeding a damage threshold for the nonlinear conversion medium or for any of the plurality of mirrors. The teaching of the invention is also applied to third, fourth, and higher order harmonic generators, to optical parametric oscillators and amplifiers, and to optical mixers. Also disclosed is an intra-cavity wavefront distortion corrected second harmonic generator that compensates for heating of a nonlinear conversion medium at high average powers.