WAVELENGTH CONVERTER, QUASI PHASE MATCHING TYPE WAVE CONVERSION ELEMENT, AND METHOD FOR USING QUASI PHASE MATCHING TYPE WAVE CONVERSION ELEMENT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To convert signal wave light of one wavelength into converted wave light of a desired wavelength in a wavelength converter using a 2nd harmonic generation process and a difference-frequency generation process. ;SOLUTION: This wavelength converter 11 makes signal wave light S made incident from outside and a pump beam P emitted from a laser source 13 join by a 1st optical joining means 17, and then makes them incident to a QPM element 21. This QPM element is configured so as to generate a difference- frequency wave between a signal wave SHG light SSH and the pump beam P while generating the 2nd harmonic wave (signal wave SHG light SSH) of the signal light S. This wavelength converter uses this difference-frequency wave as converted wave light C.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2001,JPO