Highly efficient blue-light generation from a compact, diode-pumped femtosecond laser by use of a periodically poled KTP waveguide crystal

We present a simplified, potentially portable, and highly efficient blue-light source from a periodically poled KTP waveguide crystal with a compact femtosecond Cr:LiSAF laser. This light source generates 5.6 mW of blue average output power at 424 nm with 27 mW of incident fundamental in a single-pass extracavity arrangement at room temperature. The overall system efficiency of electrical power to blue light is 0.5%, and the internal second-harmonic generation conversion efficiency is as high as 37%. The slope efficiency of 5.5% pJ(-1) at low pulse energies is, to our know-ledge, the highest slope efficiency yet reported for frequency conversion into the blue spectral region. (C) 2003 Optical Society of America.