We report on the fabrication and characterization of quasi-phase-matched potassium niobate crystals for second-harmonic generation. Periodic 30-mum -pitch antiparallel ferroelectric domains are fabricated by means of poling in an electrical field. Both birefrigence and periodic phase shift of the generated second harmonic contribute to phase matching when the d(31) nonlinear optical tensor element is used. 3.8 mW of second-harmonic radiation at 463 nm is generated by frequency doubling of the output of master-oscillator power-amplifier diode laser in a 5-mm-long crystal. The measured effective nonlinear coefficient is 3.7pm/V. The measured spectral acceptance bandwidth of 0.25 nm corresponds to the theoretical value.

We report continuous-wave single-pass second-harmonic generation (SHG) in 4-mum -period 0.5-mm-thick backswitch-poled lithium niobate. Pump sources at 920-930 nm include both Ti:sapphire and diode-oscillator-amplifier lasers. SHG of a Ti:sapphire laser at 6.1%/W efficiency, producing 61 mW of power at 460 nm, is demonstrated in 50-mm-long periodically poled lithium niobate samples with a nonlinear coefficient d(eff) approximately 9pm/V, and 60 mW at 465 nm and 2.8%/W efficiency is obtained by SHG of a laser-diode source.

Blue 403 nm laser light is generated by frequency doubling the radiation of an AlGaAs diode laser oscillator amplifier system in critically phase matched LiB3O5 (LBO) and β-BaB2O4 (BBO) crystals. The laser system emits 400 mW of single frequency 806 nm radiation in an almost diffraction limited beam. For optimum doubling efficiency the laser radiation is enhanced by a resonant external ring cavity. The nonlinear crystal is placed at a resonator internal focus. Using a 16-mm-long LBO crystal a diode laser power of 387 mW generated 98 mW of second harmonic radiation, corresponding to a conversion efficiency of 25%. The same power was obtained in a 12- mm-long BBO crystal with a laser power of 417 mW. The measured conversion efficiencies are in good agreement with the values calculated for critically phase matched conversion in these nonlinear materials.

Blue 465-nm radiation is generated by frequency doubling of the output of an InGaAs diode-laser oscillator-amplifier system in critically phase-matched LiB(3)O(5) (LBO). The diode-laser system emitted 4 W of single-frequency 930-nm radiation in a near-diffraction-limited beam (M(2)<1.2) . The laser power is enhanced to values of up to 150 W in a resonant external ring cavity. The LBO crystal is placed at a resonator internal focus. The frequency doubling in the LBO crystal generates blue radiation at 465 nm with a power of 1 W. The spectral width of the blue radiation is less than 3 MHz, and the value of the M(2) beam parameter is less than 1.2.

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