A laser apparatus that includes a laser light generation section, an
optical amplification section, a wavelength conversion section and a
suppressing section is provided. The laser light generation section
includes a single wavelength oscillatory laser and generates pulsed light
having a single wavelength within a wavelength range ranging from about
1.51 to 1.59 .mu.m. The optical amplification section includes an optical
fiber amplifier and is optically connected to the laser light generation
section to amplify the pulsed light. The wavelength conversion section
includes a nonlinear optical crystal and is optically connected to the
optical amplification section to perform wavelength conversion of the
amplified pulsed light into ultraviolet light. The suppressing section
suppresses expansion of a wavelength width of light originated in a
nonlinear effect of an optical element between the single wavelength
oscillatory laser and the wavelength conversion section.