Efficient second to ninth harmonic generation using megawatt peak power microchip laser

We report the design and use of a megawatt peak power Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG microchip laser for efficient second to ninth harmonic generation. We show that the sub-nanosecond pulse width region, between 100 ps and 1 ns, is ideally suited for efficient wavelength conversion. Using this feature, we report 85% second harmonic generation efficiency using lithium triborate (LBO), 60% fourth harmonic generation efficiency usingß-barium borate, and 44% IR to UV third harmonic generation efficiency using Type I and Type II LBO. Finally, we report the first demonstration of 118 nm VUV generation in xenon gas using a microchip laser.