Multiple crystal non-linear frequency conversion apparatus

A non-linear frequency conversion device for a selected tuning range made of a first section, a second section and an overlapping first and second section, comprising:

• an input source providing a first input beam of frequency .lambda.1;
• a first frequency conversion crystal with an input beam face cut at an angle .theta.1 and positioned on a first stage at a stage angle .alpha.1, the first frequency conversion crystal providing frequency conversion of the first input beam of frequency .lambda.1 to a selected frequency .lambda.2 of the first section of the selected tuning range;
• a second frequency conversion crystal with an input beam face cut at an angle .theta.2 and positioned on a second stage at a stage angle .alpha.2, the second frequency conversion crystal providing frequency conversion of the first input beam of frequency .lambda.1 to a selected frequency .lambda.3 of the second section of the selected tuning range;
• and
• wherein the first and second frequency conversion crystals provide non-simultaneous frequency conversion, and only one of the first or second conversion crystals provides frequency conversion to a selected frequency .lambda.2 for the first conversion crystal or .lambda.3 for the second conversion crystal, in all or a portion of the overlapping first and second sections of the tuning range.

An optical parametric device with a selected tuning range, comprising:

• a device to establish a first input of a frequency of the selected tuning range;
• a first frequency conversion crystal with an input beam face cut at an angle .theta.1 and positioned on a first stage at a stage angle .alpha.1 mounted in the optical parametric device, the first frequency conversion crystal providing parametric generation for a first section of the selected tuning range;
• and
• a second frequency conversion crystal with an input beam face cut at an angle .theta.2 and positioned on a second stage at a stage angle .alpha.2 mounted in the optical parametric device, the second frequency conversion crystal providing parametric generation for a second section of the selected tuning range which is different from the first section of the selected tuning range.