A laser system comprising a gain medium configured to amplify incident electromagnetic radiation and a nonlinear optical element configured to convert electromagnetic radiation amplified by the gain medium to a shorter wavelength. The laser system is configured to introduce mode competition and nonlinear effects such that the nonlinear optical element produces output electromagnetic radiation having a frequency spectrum comprising a first peak formed of a first group of frequencies and a second peak formed of a second group of frequencies. A trough separates the first and second peaks. The first and second peaks are the only dominant peaks in the frequency spectrum. The output electromagnetic radiation has a coherence curve comprising a contrast ratio of less than about 0.1 at an optical path difference that is within the inclusive range of about 1.5 mm to about 2.5 mm.

An optical crystal can be mounted to a mounting block configured to receive the crystal. A base portion on the mounting block utilizes two walls forming a corner and a single biasing spring clip to secure the crystal. The spring clip applies forces in two different directions substantially orthogonal to the two walls. The spring clip is based off a symmetrical geometry which applies nearly the same force application in both directions. The spring also features bend regions that contact the crystal in such a way as to reduce the presence of point loads or stress risers. The length of contact along the crystal is maximized, allowing for proper force distribution and a sufficient surface are contact for static holding capabilities.

Disclosed is a system for generating wavelength-tunable, ultra-short light pulses within the visible or infrared light spectrum. The system includes an injection module including a light source and a wavelength-tunable spectral filter. The light source is suitable for generating short light pulses, having a duration measured in nanoseconds, within an emission spectrum having a spectral width of several tens of nanometers to several hundred nanometers. The spectral filter has a spectral width between 250 pm and 3 nm and is suitable for spectrally and temporally filtering the short light pulses such that the injection module generates wavelength-tunable, spectrally filtered, ultra-short light pulses. The system also includes at least one optical amplifier suitable for generating wavelength-tunable, ultra-short, amplified pulses based on the wavelength of the spectral filter.

A laser system is described, the laser system comprising: an optical cavity defined by at least first and second at least partially reflecting elements; and a gain system. The gain system comprising at least first and second gain media located within the optical cavity. The first and second gain media are configured to generate optical radiation of at least first and second wavelength ranges in response to pumping energy.

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 doubling stage of a laser assembly to generate laser output light having a wavelength in the range of about 180 nm to 200 nm. One or more fundamental laser beams are frequency doubled, down-converted and/or summed using one or more frequency conversion stages to generate an intermediate frequency light with a corresponding wavelength in the range of about 360 nm to 400 nm, and then the final frequency converting stage utilizes the nonlinear crystal to double the frequency of the intermediate frequency light to generate the desired laser output light at high power. Methods, inspection systems, lithography systems and cutting systems incorporating the laser assembly are 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.

An optical system operating in the near or short-wave infrared wavelength range identifies an object based on water absorption. The system comprises a light source with modulated light emitting diodes operating at wavelengths near 1090 and 1440 nanometers, corresponding to lower and higher water absorption. The system further comprises one or more wavelength selective filters and a housing that is further coupled to an electrical circuit and a processor. The detection system comprises photodetectors that are synchronized to the light source, and the detection system receives at least a portion of light reflected from the object. The system is configured to identify the object by comparing the reflected light at the first and second wavelength to generate an output value, and then comparing the output value to a threshold. The optical system may be further coupled to a wearable device or a remote sensing system with a time-of-flight sensor.

A solid-state laser system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a first non-linear crystal that generates first wavelength-converted light based on a first laser beam, a first adjustment unit configured to perform phase matching of the first wavelength-converted light in the first non-linear crystal, a second non-linear crystal that generates second wavelength-converted light based on a second laser beam and the first wavelength-converted light, a second adjustment unit configured to perform phase matching of the second wavelength-converted light in the second non-linear crystal, a light detection unit configured to detect light having a selected wavelength, and a processor configured to control the first adjustment unit based on intensity of at least one of the first wavelength-converted light and the first laser beam and to control the second adjustment unit based on intensity of at least one of the second wavelength-converted light and the first wavelength-converted light.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for generating fiber delivered laser-induced dynamically controlled white light emission. The apparatus includes a laser diode unit for generating a laser electromagnetic radiation with a blue emission in a range from 395 nm to 490 nm that is delivered by an optical fiber. The apparatus further includes a dynamic phosphor unit configured to receive the laser exited from the optical fiber and controllably deflect a beam focused by a first optics sub-unit to a surface spot on a phosphor plate to produce a white light emission. Additionally, and the dynamic phosphor unit includes a second optics sub-unit configured to collect the white light emission and to project to a far field. Furthermore, the apparatus includes an electronics control unit comprising a laser diode driver and a MEMS driver for respectively control the laser diode unit and the dynamic phosphor unit in mutually synchronized manner.

An electrodeless laser-driven light source includes a laser that generates a CW sustaining light. A pump laser generates pump light. A Q-switched laser crystal receives the pump light generated by the pump laser and generates pulsed laser light at an output in response to the generated pump light. A first optical element projects the pulsed laser light along a first axis to a breakdown region in a gas-filled bulb comprising an ionizing gas. A second optical element projects the CW sustaining light along a second axis to a CW plasma region in the gas-filled bulb comprising the ionizing gas. A detector detects plasma light generated by a CW plasma and generates a detection signal at an output. A controller generates control signals that control the pump light to the Q-switched laser crystal so as to extinguish the pulsed laser light within a time delay after the detection signal exceeds a threshold level.