The present invention relates to an apparatus comprising a diode laser (10) providing radiation in a first wavelength interval, a radiation conversion unit (12) having an input and an output, the radiation converter configured to receive the radiation in the first wavelength interval from the diode laser at the input, the radiation conversion unit configured to convert the radiation in the first wavelength interval to radiation in a second wavelength interval and the output configured to output the converted radiation, the second wavelength interval having one end point outside the first wavelength interval. Further, the invention relates to a method of optically pumping a target laser (14) in a laser system, the laser system comprising a laser source providing radiation at a first frequency, the laser source being optically connected to an input of a frequency converter, the frequency converter configured to convert the radiation at the first frequency to a second, different frequency, the target laser arranged in optical communication with an output of the frequency converter, the method comprising the steps of emitting radiation from the laser source, receiving the radiation at the frequency converter, converting the radiation from the first frequency to the second frequency in the frequency converter, and providing the radiation at the second frequency at the target laser so that the target laser is optically pumped.