A device for shifting a nonlinear crystal arranged to frequency convert a laser beam includes an anchor, a mount for holding the nonlinear crystal, and two parallel flexures each interconnecting the mount and the anchor to cantilever the mount from the anchor. Each flexure extends in a first horizontal direction from the mount to the anchor. The two flexures being offset from each other in a vertical direction. The device also includes a transducer connecting between the anchor and the mount. Bending of the transducer shifts the position of the mount in the vertical direction, and the two parallel flexures cooperate to prevent rotation of the mount during shifting of the mount position induced by the transducer. This device provides an inexpensive and compact crystal-shifter solution with crystal-orientation stability equaling that of far more costly and bulky conventional translation stages.

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.

A device for generating laser radiation includes a resonator, an optical assembly, and an adjustment device is provided. The optical assembly includes a movably arranged support element on which optical components are arranged, wherein an optical component is a device for deflecting laser radiation. The device for deflecting laser radiation of the optical assembly is arranged in the beam path of laser radiation generated by the resonator. The adjustment device changes the position of the optical assembly from a first position to another position relative to the resonator, wherein the position of the beam path of laser radiation emanating from the optical assembly in the first position remains unchanged by the adjustment of the optical assembly to the other position relative to the resonator. A corresponding method is also provided.

An optical arrangement for enlarging spectral bandwidths by nonlinear self-phase modulation for shortening ultrashort pulses using a multipass cell and a nonlinear medium. The nonlinear medium is arranged within the multipass cell, and a laser beam having ultrashort pulses passes through the nonlinear medium multiple times. The laser beam is coupled into the multipass cell by way of a shaping optical unit. The laser beam is shaped into an astigmatic beam and coupled into the multipass cell by way of the shaping optical unit.

A device for shifting a nonlinear crystal arranged to frequency convert a laser beam includes an anchor, a mount for holding the nonlinear crystal, and two parallel flexures each interconnecting the mount and the anchor to cantilever the mount from the anchor. Each flexure extends in a first horizontal direction from the mount to the anchor. The two flexures being offset from each other in a vertical direction. The device also includes a transducer connecting between the anchor and the mount. Bending of the transducer shifts the position of the mount in the vertical direction, and the two parallel flexures cooperate to prevent rotation of the mount during shifting of the mount position induced by the transducer. This device provides an inexpensive and compact crystal-shifter solution with crystal-orientation stability equaling that of far more costly and bulky conventional translation stages.

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.

A device for generating laser radiation includes a resonator an optical assembly, and an adjustment device is provided. The optical assembly includes a movably arranged support element on which optical components are arranged, wherein an optical component is a device for deflecting laser radiation. The device for deflecting laser radiation of the optical assembly is arranged in the beam path of laser radiation generated by the resonator. The adjustment device changes the position of the optical assembly from a first position to another position relative to the resonator, wherein the position of the beam path of laser radiation emanating from the optical assembly in the first position remains unchanged by the adjustment of the optical assembly to the other position relative to the resonator. A corresponding method is also provided.

The invention relates to a mass spectrometer with laser-desorption ion source, particularly for MALDI. A laser system with optical laser spot control is proposed in which the laser spot shift brought about by means of a temporally variable angular deflection at a mirror system is performed on the laser beam before or during the energy multiplication. The laser beam, which is deflected through a small angle by the mirror system, is converted by a suitable flat-field optical system into a parallel-shifted laser beam, which then passes through a multiplier crystal. After exiting the multiplier crystal system, the parallel-shifted beam is converted back into a slightly angled beam by a flat-field optical system, this latter beam then bringing about the spot shift on the sample. The multiplier crystal is conserved by the continuously temporally changed parallel shift of the laser beam in the multiplier crystal, thus prolonging its service life.

A frequency-doubled laser, including: a first reflecting mirror, a second reflecting mirror, a gain medium, a telescope module, a polarizing element, and a nonlinear crystal; the first reflecting mirror and the second reflecting mirror are spaced apart to form a resonator of the frequency-doubled laser; the polarizing element, the gain medium, the telescope module, and the nonlinear crystal are located in the resonator, and the telescope module is located between the gain medium and the nonlinear crystal. The present disclosure further provides a method of generating harmonic laser. The frequency-doubled laser and the method of generating harmonic laser make the position of nonlinear crystal more flexible, and the possibility of damage to the nonlinear crystal is reduced.

In one aspect, a method is provided for generating supercontinuum laser pulses within a continuous mid-infrared spectral range in a chalcogenide material. This method includes focusing an input laser beam of femtosecond pulses with a pulse energy higher than 10 microjoule along an optical path of the input laser beam; placing a chalcogenide material at a selected location along the optical path of the laser beam so that the laser intensity at the chalcogenide material is sufficiently high to cause nonlinear optical absorption that causes conversion of input optical energy into supercontinuum laser pulses of a pulse energy at or above a microjoule level at optical wavelengths within a broad continuous mid-infrared spectral range without damaging the chalcogenide material; and simultaneously moving the chalcogenide material laterally relative to the input laser beam to avoid damage to the chalcogenide material.