We compare frequency doubling of broadband light in a single nonlinear crys
tal with doubling in five crystals with intercrystal temporal walk-off comp
ensation and with doubling in five crystals adjusted for offset phase-match
ing frequencies. Using a plane-wave dispersive numerical model of frequency
doubling, we study the bandwidth of the second harmonic and the conversion
efficiency as functions of crystal length and fundamental irradiance. For
low irradiance, the offset phase-matching arrangement has lower efficiency
than a single crystal of the same total length but gives a broader second-h
armonic bandwidth. The walk-off-compensated arrangement gives both higher c
onversion efficiency and broader bandwidth than a single crystal. At high i
rradiance, both multicrystal arrangements improve on the single-crystal eff
iciency while maintaining a broad bandwidth. (C) 2001 Optical Society of Am
erica.