Frequency-quintupled laser at 308 nm for atomic physics applications

We report on the development of a compact continuous-wave frequency-quintupled laser at 308 nm, which is based on a fiber laser operating in the telecom band. Three consecutive frequency conversion stages in nonlinear crystals are employed to achieve a 2 ν + 3 ν = 5 ν frequency mixing. The performance of the laser system is demonstrated by linear absorption spectroscopy of a narrow intercombination line in zinc.