Nonlinear Devices

Abstract

Nonlinear optical devices, such as harmonic generators and parametric oscillators, provide a means of extending the frequency range of available laser sources. In 1961, Franken and coworkers detected ultraviolet light at twice the frequency of a ruby laser when the beam was propagated through a quartz crystal [10.1]. This experiment marked the beginning of an intense investigation into the realm of the nonlinear optical properties of matter.