Investigation of the spatial profile of stimulated Raman scattering beams in D<Subscript>2</Subscript> and H<Subscript>2</Subscript> gases using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 266 nm

The stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) beam spatial mode structure is studied in H₂ and D₂ gases, in a 60 cm-long high-pressure Raman cell, using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 266 nm. The conversion efficiencies of the first and second Stokes in H₂, D₂ and H₂/D₂ mixtures have been measured precisely in the 1–14 atm range. The SRS beam profiles were recorded for different gas pressures in the high-pressure Raman cell and interesting behaviour is revealed. Homogeneous SRS spatial profiles were obtained only for pressures higher than 7 atm. For lower pressures the profiles are either in the form of a ring or of a more complicated shape. The results are explained in terms of nonlinear self-focusing processes during the pump beam propagation in the Raman cell. Also, from our measurements, a more precise value of the nonlinear index of refraction for the H₂ and D₂ at 266 nm is proposed. PACS 42.65.Dr; 42.60.Jf; 42.60.Lh; 42.65.Jx     

三倍频Nd∶YAG激光抽运氧气中的受激拉曼和布里渊散射

报道了三倍频脉冲Nd∶YAG激光(355 nm)在两种不同带宽模式下抽运氧气中受激拉曼散射(SRS)和受激布里渊散射(SBS)的实验研究。在宽带(约1 cm-1)抽运模式下,只测到了前向受激拉曼散射,而没有观察到后向散射,其一级和二级斯托克斯最大能量转换效率可达22%和8%。在窄带(约0.003 cm-1)模式下,前向、后向受激拉曼散射和受激布里渊散射都测量到了,但大部分抽运能量都转换到受激布里渊散射,其转换效率可达67%。测量了两种带宽模式下各散射组分在它们最佳转换时的波形;窄带情况下后向受激拉曼散射和受激布里渊散射的脉宽分别可压窄至1.5 ns和2.3 ns,不到抽运脉宽的三分之一,使得受激布里渊散射峰值功率可大大高于抽运功率。对氧气中前向、后向受激拉曼散射和受激布里渊散射之间的竞争进行了讨论。     

三倍频Nd:YAG激光抽运氧气中的受激拉曼和布里渊散射

报道了三倍频脉冲Nd：YAG激光（355nm）在两种不同带宽模式下抽运氧气中受激拉曼散射（SRS）和受激布里渊散射（SBS）的实验研究。在宽带（约1cm^-1）抽运模式下,只测到了前向受激拉曼散射,而没有观察到后向散射,其一级和二级斯托克斯最大能量转换效率可达22％和8％。在窄带（约0．003cm^-1）模式下,前向、后向受激拉曼散射和受激布里渊散射都测量到了,但大部分抽运能量都转换到受激布里渊散射,其转换效率可达67％。测量了两种带宽模式下各散射组分在它们最佳转换时的波形;窄带情况下后向受激拉曼散射和受激布里渊散射的脉宽分别可压窄至1．5ns和2．3ns,不到抽运脉宽的三分之一,使得受激布里渊散射峰值功率可大大高于抽运功率。对氧气中前向、后向受激拉曼散射和受激布里渊散射之间的竞争进行了讨论。     

Numerical simulations of pulsed and quasi-cw regimes of synchronously pumped Raman oscillators

Synchronously pumped Raman oscillators allow for an efficient frequency conversion of pump pulses whose power is well below the threshold for extracavity stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). Numerical simulations show that the cavity mismatch of pump laser and Raman oscillator is critical for maximum conversion efficiency and minimum pulse duration for transient and stationary SRS. At a certain mismatch the simulations predict a quasi-cw Raman oscillator output even at moderate cavity quality factors. Optimum operation conditions are discussed for pump pulse trains of finite lengths. The results of the numerical calculations are in qualitative agreement with a simple phenomenological model. PACS 42.55.Ye; 42.65.Dr; 42.55.Lt     

Transient stimulated raman scattering in crystals during motion of populations of vibrational states

Transient stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in crystals is analyzed taking into account the motion of populations of vibrational states under the action of subpicosecond (shorter than the dephasing time) pump pulses. Analytic expressions describing the dynamics of excitation of vibrations in SRS are derived. It is found that for a small wavelength of SRS interaction and high intensities of pump radiation observed for femtosecond SRS in crystals, avalanche excitation of vibrations can be responsible for SRS suppression. It is shown that when phase matching of Stokes-anti-Stokes parametric coupling in transient SRS is ensured, it is possible to elevate the efficiency of frequency conversion under conditions of motion of populations of vibrational states; this explains recent successful results in the experimental implementation of femtosecond SRS in crystals pumped by a Bessel beam.     

水中受激拉曼散射的能量增强及受激布里渊散射的光学抑制

为提高液体介质中受激拉曼散射的输出能量,提出了通过温度调控来抑制受激布里渊散射的方法,设计了532 nm多纵模宽带脉冲激光泵浦的受激拉曼散射发生系统,测量了不同温度下水中前向受激拉曼散射及后向受激布里渊散射的输出能量,分析了水温、泵浦激光线宽及热散焦效应对受激拉曼散射输出能量影响的物理机制.实验结果表明:通过降低水温可实现对受激布里渊散射过程的有效抑制,同时减小热散焦效应带来的光束畸变,从而有效提高受激拉曼散射的输出能量.研究结果对液体介质中的受激拉曼散射多波长转换具有重要意义.     

Highly efficient Raman conversion in O2 pumped by a seeded narrow band second-harmonic Nd:YAG laser

The first-Stokes conversion efficiency for a stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) is usually very low in gaseous oxygen media. In 3.0 Mpa O₂, a single longitudinal mode second harmonic Nd:YAG laser pump source gives a typical vibrational first-Stokes conversion efficiency of only 2.5%, In comparison, the accompanying stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) attains a reflectivity of 67%. However, by seeding an OPO beam into the Raman cavity, the first-Stokes photon conversion efficiency now attains a peak value of 54%, while the SBS reflectivity reduces to 5% in a 6.1 Mpa 41:59 O₂/ He mixture. This 54% efficiency was obtained for a seeder laser pulse-width less than one half that of pump laser (6.8 ns). A first-Stokes peak power conversion efficiency as high as 88% has been obtained when the pump and seeder pulse peaks coincide. So, we may expect a higher first-Stokes photon conversion efficiency if the seeder pulse-width can be made equal to or larger than that of the pump pulse. On the other hand, the beam quality of the first-Stokes in an O₂/ He mixture excels that of the pump laser for a seeder energy of 5 mJ and pump energy of 50 mJ. However, at pump energies higher than 105 mJ and a pump laser repetition rate of 10 Hz, the thermal defocusing effect worsens the first-Stokes beam quality. This thermal defocusing effect is a result of the Raman heat release and could be eliminated by fast circulating and cooling the Raman gas medium.     

High Efficient C6H12 Raman Laser Enhanced by DCM Fluorescence

We report the first-order Stokes output （wavelength of 627.6 nm） from C6H12 enhanced by DCM dye fluorescence with high energy conversion efficiency of 47.9%, quantum conversion efficiency of 56.5%. To our knowledge, it is the highest conversion efficiency of stimulated Raman scattering obtained from liquid Raman laser. A 532nm frequency doubled Nd：YAG laser with 8 Hz repetition rate is employed as the pump source, and the enhancement medium is DCM dye solution in ethanol. The conversion efficiencies at various pump energies and various pump repetition rates are measured and analysed. The enhancement mechanism of SRS together with its potential application is discussed.     

355 nm Nd:YAG激光在H2中的高效一级斯托克斯转换

对脉冲Nd:YAG激光(355 nm)在H2和H2:He-Ar混合气体中的受激拉曼散射(SRS)进行了研究.在0.5 MPa的氢气中,同时测量到从二级反斯托克斯到三级斯托克斯的多波长输出,其总转化效率达88%;而高压下只剩下一级和二级斯托克斯输出,其中二级斯托克斯最大能量转化效率达44%(对应量子效率为63%).由于高级斯托克斯的竞争,纯氢气中一级斯托克斯的最大能量转换效率不超过43%.通过向3 MPa氢气中掺入2 MPaAr气后,很好地抑制了二级斯托克斯的产生,从而获得了能量转换效率高达71%(对应量子效率为83%)的一级斯托克斯输出.对四波混频和级联受激拉曼散射在氢气多级斯托克斯产生中的作用以及惰性气体对它们的影响进行了讨论.     

热散焦效应对甲烷后向受激喇曼散射的影响

采用单纵模Nd:YAG二倍频激光泵浦,研究了CH4气体中的受激喇曼散射．实验发现,当激光的重复频率为2 Hz,1．1 MPa CH4中,泵浦能量为95 mJ时,后向一级斯托克斯(BS1)的量子转化效率可达73％,并且由于激光脉冲的张弛振荡,BS1的脉宽被压窄到1．2 ns,峰值功率达到了泵浦光功率的2．7倍,其光束质量大大优于泵浦光．在同样条件下,而重复频率为10 Hz时,BS1的量子转化效率降低为36％,但对光束质量影响不大,这是因为BS1呈现为与泵浦光波前翻转的复制光波,可以补偿热畸变．研究结果表明,如果设计一个CH4／He混合气体的带封闭循环冷却系统的高性能630 nm喇曼激光器,可能有其实际应用价值．     

Angular divergence of forwards and backwards emission from an FIR laser,using a pyroelectric vidicon

The angular divergence of FIR radiation at 66 μm and 116 μm from a D₂O cell pumped by single mode pulsed CO₂ laser is obtained, in both forward and backward directions. The forward emission, in similarity with SRS at other wavelengths, emerges with divergence close to the diffraction limit in some cases. The backward emission, probably dominated by ASE, has a greater divergence and at high filling pressures appears to break up into speckles.     

Observations of wavefront reproduction by stimulated Brillouin and Raman scattering as a function of pump power and waveguide dimensions

Experimental investigations have been made of wavefront reproduction (WFR) by backward stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and backward stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in CS₂ and C₇H₆O using a linearly polarized ruby pump at λ=0.694 μm. The studies were carried out as a function of the length and cross-section of the optical waveguide and the pump power at the input to the nonlinear medium; curves showing the percentage of nonreproduced backscattered radiation versus power into the waveguide are presented. In all of the cases studied the degree of reproduction by SBS was higher than that by SRS and the efficiency of WFR for both SBS and SRS improved as the pump power into the waveguide was increased, the bore diameter of the lightpipe decreased, and the length of active media decreased.     

Comparative study of the output characteristics of ytterbium-doped double-clad fiber lasers with different pump schemes

The output characteristics of ytterbium-doped double-clad fiber lasers (YDCFLs) with different pump schemes are compared numerically in detail. The results show that the backward pumped YDCFL with pump reflection for double-pass scheme has the highest conversion efficiency, the most suitable for saving pump powers. As a result of the maximum output power per meter occurring in the forward pumped YDCFL with pump reflection, it means that this kind of pump scheme is preferable for saving YDCF lengths. Moreover, the output characteristic of the bi-directional pumped YDCFL is between forward and backward pumped ones.     

Backward second-harmonic and third-harmonic generation in a periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate waveguide

We observed backward second-harmonic and backward third-harmonic generation in a periodically poled KTiOPO(4) waveguide using nanosecond laser pulses. The highest conversion efficiency achieved for the backward second-harmonic generation, occurring at the 25th-order grating, was ~0.6% . The backward third-harmonic generation was the result of mixing the pump beam with the forward or the backward second-harmonic beam. Conversion efficiency of ~0.4% was achieved at a pump wavelength of 1233.7 nm, where the two constituent nonlinear processes are both quasi-phase matched.     

Phase conjugated wavefronts by stimulated brillouin and Raman scattering

Experimental investigations were made of wavefront reproduction (WFR) by backward stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and backward stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in CS₂ with a linearly polarized ruby pump beam. The experimental studies were carried out as a function of the optical waveguide diameter and photographic records comparing the pump beam with the backscattered SBS and SRS beams are presented. In all of the cases studied there was a high degree of replication between the SBS and pump beams; however, a deterioration in the quality of the replicated SRS beam was observed, and it increased as the cross-sectional area of the waveguide increased.     

Optical parametric amplifier pumped by two mutually incoherent laser beams

We report on the experimental proof-of-principle demonstration of the ultrashort pulse single-pass beta-barium borate, BBO optical parametric amplifier pumped by two mutually incoherent laser sources. We show that the amplified signal at 1054 nm gains energy from both pump pulses with wavelengths of 680 and 527 nm, respectively, with overall energy conversion of 36%, and exhibits low wavefront distortions and improved energy stability in the gain saturation regime. PACS 42.65.Yj; 42.65.Re     

Pump spectral linewidth influence on stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and self‐termination behavior of SRS in liquids

The threshold, temporal behavior, and conversion efficiency of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) and stimulated Raman scattering (SBS) in three liquids (benzene, hexane, and dimethyl sulfoxide) and two crystals (calcite and barium nitrate) have been investigated under three largely different spectral linewidth conditions. Pumped with 532‐nm and nanosecond duration laser pulses of ≤ 0.01 cm^?1 linewidth, only SBS can be generated in all tested liquids with a high nonlinear reflectivity. However when the pump spectral linewidth is ～0.07 cm^?1 or ～0.8 cm^?1, both SBS and SRS can be observed in benzene while only SRS can be generated in dimethyl sulfoxide; in all these cases SRS is the dominant contribution to the stimulated scattering but the efficiency values are drastically decreased due to the self‐termination behavior of SRS in liquids, which arises from the thermal self‐defocusing of both pump beam and SRS beam owing to Stokes‐shift related opto‐heating effect. In contrast, for SRS process in the two crystals, the thermal self‐defocusing influence is negligible benefitting from their much greater thermal conductivity, and a higher conversion efficiency of SRS generation can be retained under all three pump conditions.

     

Conversion of radiation from high-power UV lasers in gases and vapors by stimulated Raman scattering

We have systematized experimental data on conversion of high-power UV radiation in gases and vapors by stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). We consider the features of nonlinear processes mediated by UV photons. We formulate the requirements for the pump beam parameters and describe specific laser systems satisfying these requirements. We analyze in detail ways to optimize the SRS conversion process in hydrogen and methane from the viewpoint of both overall efficiency and the efficiency of conversion to a specified SRS component. We present results obtained in SRS experiments in vapors of different metals. We discuss in detail the optimal conditions for conversion of UV radiation to the visible range in lead vapors. We show the effect of other nonlinear processes on the SRS process, and indicate conditions in which this effect is minimal. We describe some effects observed in the experiments. In conclusion, we present data on the wavelengths and conversion efficiencies for radiation from different lasers in different gases and vapors, and briefly describe possible applications of lasers with SRS cells. Institute of High-Current Electronics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 3, pp. 90–116, March, 1998.     

Spontaneous and backward stimulated Raman scattering of light in methane

The initial phase of development of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in the backward direction in compressed methane (the excess of the SRS intensity over the signal of spontaneous scattering in the experiment is ～100) has been studied theoretically and experimentally. The theory, developed on the basis of simple assumptions about the mechanism of SRS formation from spontaneous scattering, shows good agreement with experiment. The implicit consideration of backward SRS is shown to be significant for the conditions of depletion of the pump energy due to its continuous loss in the medium and conversion into SRS.     

Effect of buffer gas on the generation of eye-safe 1.54 μm radiation using the stimulated Raman scattering technique in CH4

Experimental results on the generation of 1.54 μm eye-safe radiation in pure CH₄, CH₄:He and CH₄:Ar mixtures pumped by the fundamental of an Nd:YAG laser, using the stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) technique, are described. A decrease in the energy conversion efficiency and degradation in the beam quality of S₁ was observed in pure CH₄ at high pump energies. This problem was overcome in CH₄:He and CH₄:Ar mixtures. Compared with the first Stokes (1.54 μm) energy conversion efficiency in pure CH₄, at a pump energy of 126 mJ, an enhancement of 50% in energy conversion efficiency was observed in the CH₄:Ar mixture (60% argon concentration) and as much as 100% in the CH₄:He mixture (60% helium concentration). The use of these buffer gas mixtures improved the spatial beam quality of the Stokes radiation considerably and also resulted in raising the pump threshold for optical breakdown of the Raman gain medium.