Modular ultraviolet pulsed laser-source

Apparatus for generating ultraviolet pulsed laser-radiation, comprising:

• a laser-source generating a beam of pulsed laser-radiation, the pulsed laser- radiation having a pulse-duration between about 100 femtoseconds and about 200 picoseconds;
• a frequency-conversion module, the frequency-conversion module having an enclosed interior volume that is sealed airtight;
• a hollow-core optical fiber arranged to transport the beam of pulsed laser-radiation from the laser-source to the frequency-conversion module, with the hollow core of the hollow-core optical fiber containing a gas and configured to spectrally broaden the laser-radiation passing through the fiber;
• a free space compressor for receiving the spectrally broadened laser-radiation and temporally compressing the pulses passing therethrough;
• a first non-linear crystal and a second non-linear crystal located within the enclosed interior volume of the frequency-conversion module;
• wherein the beam of pulsed laser-radiation propagates in recited order through the hollow-core optical fiber, the compressor, the first non-linear crystal, and the second non- linear crystal;
• and
• wherein the first non-linear crystal and the second non-linear crystal are arranged to generate a beam of ultraviolet pulsed laser-radiation.