Generation of vacuum-ultraviolet light by an optically contacted, prism-coupled KBe_2BO_3F_2 crystal

We have demonstrated the second harmonic of a frequency-tripled Nd:YVO4 laser with 2.5-mW quasi-cw output by using an optically contacted, prism-coupled KBe2BO3F2 crystal. We also achieved the second harmonic with a frequency-doubled single-mode Ti:sapphire laser at 172.5 nm and sum-frequency mixing with a dual-wavelength Ti:sapphire laser at 163.3 nm. These wavelengths are to our knowledge the shortest obtained by use of nonlinear crystals for second-harmonic generation and sum-frequency mixing, respectively.