Diode pumped laser and doubling to obtain blue light

An apparatus for harmonically generating coherent blue light from a non-linear electro-optic material:

• diode means for generating a beam of coherent, optical pumping radiation of a first optical wavelength from a semiconductive diode;
• a member of Nd.sup.3+ doped lasant material disposed to receive the beam of optical pumping radiation for optical pumping of said member of lasant material to excite optical lasant radiation at a second wavelength corresponding to the .sup.4 F.sub.3/2 -.sup.4 I.sub.9/2 laser transition having a wavelength within the range of 0.870 to 0.960 .mu.m;
• optical resonator means optically coupled to the lasant radiation at said second wavelength for exciting said optical resonator with coherent optical radiation at said second wavelength;
• and
• non-linear, electro-optic means disposed in said optical resonator means for non-linear, electro-optic interaction with the coherent optical radiation at said second wavelength to generate coherent optical radiation at the second harmonic of said second wavelength, thereby producing coherent blue light.

In a method for generating coherent infrared light, the steps of:

• generating a beam of optical pumping radiation of a first optical wavelength from a semiconductive diode;
• directing the beam of optical pumping radiation derived from the diode into a Nd.sup.3+ doped member of lasant material disposed in an optical resonator for efficient optical pumping of the lasant material to excite optical lasant radiation at a second wavelength corresponding to the .sup.4 F.sub.3/2 -.sup.4 I.sub.9/2 laser transition having a wavelength in the range of 0.870-0.960 .mu.m;
• and
• reflecting the lasant radiation at said second wavelength between reflectors of said optical resonator containing said member of lasant material and through said optically pumped member of lasant material for exciting said optical resonator with coherent, optical radiation at said second wavelength.

An apparatus for generating coherent, infrared light:

• diode means for generating a beam of coherent, optical pumping radiation of a first optical wavelength from a semiconductive diode;
• a member of Nd.sup.3+ doped lasant material disposed to receive the beam of optical pumping radiation for optical pumping of said member of lasant material to excite optical lasant radiation at a second wavelength corresponding to the .sup.4 F.sub.3/2 -.sup.4 I.sub.9/2 laser transition having a wavelength within the range of 0.870 to 0.960 .mu.m;
• and
• optical resonator means optically coupled to the lasant radiation at said second wavelength for exciting said optical resonator with coherent optical radiation at said second wavelength.