Laser Crystal Gifts

For second harmonic generation what role do laser properties play in determining the Nonlinear crystal used?

For example how do the laser properties: Beam size, Laser power or energy, bandwidth and divergence determine the type of crystal which is used in say an Nd:YAG laser requiring SHG at 1064nm.

Public Comments

1. Generally, there are 2 considerations for SHG. The first is the center frequency of the output/source beam. The second is whether you will use a single polarized beam, or two orthogonally polarized beams. It is generally the desired output frequency which will dictate the crystal you will use for SHG. You will need to have a crystal with a bandgap equivalent to the desired output frequency. Whether you use a single or double beam is based on the atomic structure of the crystal (of appropriate gap). Monopotassium phosphate is one crystal which might be used for a Nd:YAG source.