Achromatic phase matching for tunable second-harmonic generation by use of a grism

Achromatic phase matching (APM) involves dispersing the light entering a nonlinear-optical crystal so that a wide range of wavelengths is simultaneously phase matched. Using an APM arrangement consisting of a grism (a grating on the surface of a prism) and three prisms, optimized to match a second-harmonic crystal phase-matching angle versus wavelength to high order, we efficiently doubled tunable fundamental light near 650nm with a bandwidth of >95 nm by use of a 4-mm type I beta-barium borate crystal. APM uses no moving parts, and unlike previous APM designs, ours avoids lenses and hence is easy to align and insensitive to translational misalignment of the beam.