Single-mode deep-UV light source at 191.7 nm by seventh-harmonic generation of a high-power, Q-switched, injection-locked 1342 nm Nd:YVO₄ laser.

Abstract

A single-mode deep-UV laser at 191.7 nm is demonstrated by seventh-harmonic generation of a single-mode 1342 nm Nd:YVO₄ laser. The fundamental laser is an injection-locked, Q-switched ring laser at 10 kHz pulse repetition frequency. By cascaded second-harmonic and sum-frequency generation, an average power of 230 mW at 191.7 nm is achieved. At 185 mW, the setup features a Gaussian beam with a beam quality factor of M²<1.5. A pulse duration of 9 ns with pulse energy fluctuations of σ<3% is obtained. The long-term spectral width is approximately 240 MHz full width at half-maximum, measured with a homemade scanning confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer. This work opens possibilities in fiber Bragg grating production, allowing the inscription of long gratings.