A wavelength conversion device includes a second-order nonlinear optical medium with a polarization inversion structure, wherein the wavelength conversion device performs wavelength conversion between three wavelengths according to a relationship of 1/λ.sub.1=1/λ.sub.2+1/λ.sub.3, a polarization inversion period Λ of the polarization inversion structure is divided into 2a regions, and when the 2a regions divided from the polarization inversion period Λ each has a width ratio of an inverted region and a non-inverted region of r to 1−r (where 0≤r≤1), a ratio value r is set such that, when one period in phase of a sine function from 0 to 2π is divided into 2a regions, a value of the sine function in a center of each divided region is (1−2r)±0.1.

The present invention relates to a device for generating laser radiation.

A problem addressed by the present invention is that of specifying a device for generating laser radiation using a nonlinear crystal, which device has a simple construction and low optical losses.

The device according to the invention comprises an optical amplifier having an active zone, wherein the optical amplifier has a front facet and a rear facet, between which the active zone extends; and a resonator having a first resonator element and a second resonator element, between which the optical amplifier extends, wherein the first resonator element is arranged on a side of the active zone facing away from the front facet and the second resonator element is arranged on a side of the active zone facing the front facet, and wherein the second resonator element comprises a nonlinear crystal having periodic poling.

With a wavelength conversion device based on a nonlinear optical effect, when arrayed waveguides including an intended nonlinear waveguide are fabricated, unwanted slab waveguides are inevitably formed. The slab waveguides can cause an erroneous measurement in the selection of a waveguide having desired characteristics from the arrayed waveguides. The erroneous measurement can lead to redoing steps for fabricating the wavelength conversion device and a decrease in the yield and inhibit the evaluation of the characteristics in selection of the waveguide and the subsequent fabrication of the wavelength conversion device from being efficiently performed. A wavelength conversion device according to the present invention includes a plurality of waveguides formed on a substrate, and a plurality of slab waveguides that are arranged substantially in parallel with and spaced apart from the plurality of waveguides, and each of the slab waveguides has a grating structure that reflects light of a particular wavelength.

A system for frequency conversion, comprises a laser source and a harmonic generation crystal. The laser source is configured to produce optical pulse energy of less than 100 μJ. The harmonic generation crystal comprises a structure characterized by a nonlinear susceptibility, and a crystal grating period which adiabatically varies along the longitudinal direction in a manner that the crystal grating period is inversely proportional to a crystal grating function of a coordinate z measured along the longitudinal direction.

The invention relates to a method for producing waveguides (201) from a material (202) of the KTP family comprising the following method steps: b) treating the material (202) in such a way that a periodic poling of the material (202) is achieved, c) treating the material (202) in a molten salt bath (309c), which contains rubidium ions, characterized in that the molten salt bath (309c) which contains rubidium ions in step c) satisfies the following boundary conditions: the mole fraction of rubidium nitrate (RbNO.sub.3) in the melt lies in the range of 86-90 mol % at the beginning of the treatment, the mole fraction of potassium nitrate (KNO.sub.3) in the melt lies in the range of 10-12 mol % at the beginning of the treatment, the mole fraction of barium nitrate (Ba(NO.sub.3).sub.2) in the melt lies in the range of 0.5-1 mol % at the beginning of the treatment, the temperature of the melt lies in the range of 357-363° C. during the treatment. Thus the problem is solved, when reversing the known method steps, of achieving substantially identical diffusion depths of the ions during the ion exchange in order to produce periodically poled waveguides as free of corrugation as possible.

A wavelength conversion element manufacturing method capable of realizing, in a wavelength conversion element having a structure in which a thin film substrate having a periodic polarization inversion structure and a support substrate are laminated, highly efficient wavelength conversion by confining light in a cross-sectional area smaller than in the known art. The manufacturing method includes steps of forming a periodic polarization inversion structure on a first substrate made of a second-order nonlinear optical crystal and forming a damage layer in the first substrate by implanting ions from one substrate surface to obtain a first substrate for bonding, directly bonding a second substrate having a bonding surface having a smaller refractive index than the first substrate to the one substrate surface of the first substrate at the bonding surface, and peeling the first substrate directly bonded to the second substrate being the support substrate with the damage layer as a boundary to remove a part of the first substrate.

Reduction of output power of light with a wavelength converted is suppressed, which is caused by a pyroelectric effect that occurs when a temperature of a wavelength conversion element including a ferroelectric substrate is changed. Provided is a wavelength conversion device that generates light different from a wavelength of a signal light when the signal light is inputted, and includes a wavelength conversion element that converts a wavelength of the signal light, and a temperature control element for controlling a temperature of the wavelength conversion element, wherein the wavelength conversion element and the temperature control element are sealed in an inside of a metal casing, the wavelength conversion element includes an optical waveguide core and a substrate having a lower refractive index to the signal light than the optical waveguide core, and the substrate is a ferroelectric substance in which directions of spontaneous polarization are random.

Improved efficiency for nonlinear optical interactions is provided by using strongly confining waveguides for simultaneous imposition of dispersion design constraints at two or more dispersion orders. Quasi-phase-matching allows for phase-matching to be accomplished independently of the waveguide design, which helps provide sufficient design freedom for the dispersion design.

A method for fabricating an optical waveguide comprises: providing a sample of lithium niobate doped with magnesium oxide and having at least one grating of periodic domain inversion defined therein; applying a layer of metallic zinc to a surface of the sample over the at least one grating using sputter deposition; heating the sample in an atmosphere of pure oxygen to cause the zinc to indiffuse into the lithium niobate to form a waveguiding layer of increased refractive index under the surface of the sample; and using a dicing blade to cut two substantially parallel channels along a length direction of the at least one grating, to define a ridge waveguide between the two channels.

Improved efficiency for nonlinear optical interactions is provided by using strongly confining waveguides for simultaneous imposition of dispersion design constraints at two or more dispersion orders. Quasi-phase-matching allows for phase-matching to be accomplished independently of the waveguide design, which helps provide sufficient design freedom for the dispersion design.