A Compact and Efficient Violet Laser Source

Efficient laser source in the violet portion (jf the visible spectrum near 430rm. One especially interesting application is high deiisity optical data storage. TkLs Phase I program will investigate compact and efficient laser sources in the 43Onm violet spectral range by frequency-doubling C^^ single-rnode AIGaAs diode lasers in external resonant doublers. The prijimry objective of i^his Phase I program is to develop and evaluate a novel monolithic frequency-doubler design. This desigTi should miniiRize light which is coupled from the frequency-doubler back into t-he diode laser, which would otherwise destabilize the laser. If successful, this aI)proach would eliminate the need for an optical isolator, wh:Lch is the largest and one of the more expensive components in present frequency- doubled diode schemes. This could provide3foz^ the development of a compact violet laser source with a volume of the order of lOOcm arid with a significant improvement in conversion efficiency over alternate approachEis .