An optical element includes Strontium tetraborate SrB.sub.4O.sub.7 (SBO) crystal plates that are cooperatively configured to create a periodic structure for quasi-phase-matching (QPM) is used in the final frequency converting stage of a laser assembly to generate laser output light having a wavelength in the range of 125 nm to 183 nm. One or more fundamental light beams having fundamental wavelengths between 1 and 1.1 μm are doubled and/or summed using multiple intermediate frequency conversion stages to generate one or more intermediate light beam frequencies (e.g., second through eighth harmonics, or sums thereof), and then the final frequency converting stage utilizes the optical element to either double a single intermediate light beam frequency or to sum two intermediate light beam frequencies to generate the desired laser output light at high power and photon energy levels. A method and inspection system incorporating the laser assembly is also described.

A method for reconfigurable optical signal processing. The method includes generating a first pump pulse by propagating a first input pump through a first dispersive medium, generating a first modulated signal by applying a parametric nonlinear wave mixing process on an input optical signal and the first pump pulse, generating a first transformed signal of the input optical signal by propagating the first modulated signal through a second dispersive medium, generating a multiplied signal by multiplying the first transformed signal by a Green's function, generating a second pump pulse by propagating a second input pump through a third dispersive medium, generating a second modulated signal by applying the parametric nonlinear wave mixing process on the multiplied signal utilizing the second pump pulse, and generating a second transformed signal of the multiplied signal by propagating the second modulated signal through a fourth dispersive medium.

Methods and apparatuses for manipulating and modulating of laser beams. The methods and apparatuses enable activating and deactivating of laser beams, while the laser systems maintain their operating power. Further, a hybrid pump module configured to be coupled to an optical fiber having a core and at least one clad, comprising: at least one focusing lens in optical with the optical fiber; plurality of diode modules, each configured to output a multi-mode beam in optical path with the clad; and at least one core associated module, in optical path with the core, configured to provide selected functions. Further, apparatus and methods configured for frequency doubling of optical radiation.

A system and a method for generating tunable ultrafast optical pulses, the method comprising spectral broadening of a laser input beam by propagating the laser input beam in a nonlinear medium of a third-order nonlinear susceptibility χ.sup.(3), yielding an output laser spectrum; and one of: i) selecting at least one portion of the output laser spectrum, yielding an output pulse different than the input pulse and centered at a different frequency; ii) temporal compensation and spatial spreading of spectral components of the output laser spectrum; selecting two pulses at two different frequencies; and nonlinearly mixing the two pulses together in a first second-order nonlinear susceptibility χ.sup.(2) nonlinear crystal into a third pulse centered at a frequency which is a difference between the frequencies of the first two pulses; and iii) dividing output laser spectrum into a pump beam and a probe beam, directing a pump pulse to a third second-order nonlinear crystal for THz radiation generation; and directing a probe pulse to a third second-order nonlinear crystal for THz radiation reconstruction.

A wavelength converter including: A. a crystal holder configured to hold a nonlinear crystal configured to convert a wavelength of a laser beam incident thereon and output the wavelength-converted laser beam; B. a first container configured to accommodate the crystal holder and include a light incident window so provided as to intersect an optical path of the laser beam incident on the nonlinear crystal and a light exiting window so provided as to intersect the optical path of the laser beam having exited out of the nonlinear crystal; C. a second container configured to accommodate the first container; D. a position adjusting mechanism configured to adjust at least a position of the first container; and E. an isolation mechanism configured to spatially isolate the light incident window and the light exiting window from the position adjusting mechanism.

A broadband radiation source device, including a fiber assembly having a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber being filled with a gas medium, wherein the broadband radiation source device is operable such that subsets of the optical fibers are independently selectable for receiving a beam of input radiation so as to generate a broadband output from only a subset of the plurality of optical fibers at any one time.

A nonlinear crystal including stacked Strontium tetraborate SrB.sub.4O.sub.7 (SBO) crystal plates that are cooperatively configured to create a periodic structure for quasi-phase-matching (QPM) is used in the final frequency converting stage of a laser assembly to generate laser output light having a wavelength in the range of 125 nm to 183 nm. One or more fundamental light beams having fundamental wavelengths between 1 and 1.1 μm are doubled and/or summed using multiple intermediate frequency conversion stages to generate one or more intermediate light beam frequencies (e.g., second through eighth harmonics, or sums thereof), and then the final frequency converting stage utilizes the nonlinear crystal to either double a single intermediate light beam frequency or to sum two intermediate light beam frequencies to generate the desired laser output light at high power and photon energy levels. A method and inspection system incorporating the laser assembly is also described.

A coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering apparatus for imaging a sample includes an optical output; an optical source arranged to generate a first optical signal at a first wavelength; and a nonlinear element arranged to receive the first optical signal, where the nonlinear element is arranged to cause the first optical signal to undergo four-wave mixing on transmission through the nonlinear element such that a second optical signal at a second wavelength and a third optical signal at a third wavelength are generated, wherein an optical signal pair including two of the first, second and third optical signals is provided to the optical output for imaging the sample.

Disclosed is a system for compressing short or ultra-short light pulses emitted by a light source. The compression system includes:—a first non-linear light pulse compression module including a multi-pass cell, the multi-pass cell including a first non-linear optical medium; and—a second non-linear light pulse compression module including a capillary filled with a gaseous second non-linear optical medium, and a compressor arranged at the output of the capillary, the first non-linear compression module and the second non-linear compression module being arranged in series on the path of a source light beam of source light pulses. Also disclosed is a light-pulses laser system and to a method for compressing short or ultra-short light pulses.

Methods, devices and systems for improving single-frequency operation of diode lasers are described. One such method includes ramping up an operational current of a diode laser for a first predetermined number of steps, and measuring an associated current value indicative of optical power within the laser diode for each of the first predetermined number of steps. Next, operational current of the diode laser is ramped down for a second predetermined number of steps, and an associated current value indicative of optical power within the laser diode is measured for each of the second predetermined number of steps. Using the measured data current values at which a mode hop or a multimode operation is likely to occur are identified, and a contiguous range of operating currents that is devoid of identified likely mode hops or multimode regions of operation is determined as the operating current range of the diode laser.