Compact deep UV laser system at 222.5 nm by single-pass frequency doubling of high-power GaN diode laser emission

Deep ultraviolet (DUV) lasers emitting below 300 nm are of great interest for many applications, for instance in medical diagnostics or for detecting biological agents. Established DUV lasers, e.g. gas lasers or frequency quadrupled solid-state lasers, are relatively bulky and have high power consumptions. A compact and reliable laser diode based system emitting in the DUV could help to address applications in environments where a portable and robust light source with low power consumption is needed. In this work, a compact DUV laser system based on single-pass frequency doubling of highpower GaN diode laser emission is presented. A commercially available high-power GaN laser diode from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors serves as a pump source. The laser diode is spectrally stabilized in an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) setup in Littrow configuration. The ECDL system reaches a maximum optical output power of 700 mW, maintaining narrowband emission below 60 pm (FWHM) at 445 nm over the entire operating range. By direct single pass frequency doubling in a BBO crystal with a length of 7.5 mm a maximum DUV output power of 16 μW at a wavelength of 222.5 nm is generated. The presented concept enables compact and efficient diode laser based light sources emitting in the DUV spectral range that are potentially suitable for in situ applications where a small footprint and low power consumption is essential.