Spectrally Adjustable Picosecond Dye Laser Pulses Generated with Nanosecond Nitrogen Lasers

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Tunable ultraviolet laser source based on solid-state dye laser technology and CsLiB(6)O(10) harmonic generation

Tunable UV radiation centered at 289nm was obtained from a 532-nm Nd:YAG pumped high-brightness solid-state dye laser, frequency doubled in CsLiB(6)O(10). Frequency doubling to 284-294 nm was demonstrated from a singly doped, rotating pyrromethene dye plastic disk with damage threshold >3 J/cm(2) . UV energies up to 44 mJ at 10 Hz were obtained with a 15% absolute conversion efficiency from 532 nm.     

LD泵浦全固态355nm紫外皮秒脉冲激光器

利用激光二极管（LD）端面抽运Nd∶YVO4激光晶体皮秒三倍频355nm全固态紫外激光器,采用半导体可饱和吸收镜（SESAM）锁模技术及皮秒再生放大技术,对1 064 nm基波采用Ⅰ类相位匹配Li3B3O5（LBO）晶体二倍频和Ⅱ类相位匹配LBO晶体三倍频,获得了稳定性好、倍频效率较高的355 nm紫外激光输出。当二极管泵浦功率为5 W时,获得了脉宽为17 ps、重复频率为1 Hz、单脉冲能量为129.6 J的稳定三倍频紫外激光输出,基频光到二倍频光和三倍频光的转换效率分别达到60.3%和16.6%,3 h输出单脉冲能量的抖动在0.58%以下。     

Simple generation of 400–700 nm picosecond dye laser pulses with nanosecond laser pumping

New results in the experimental study of the spectro-temporal selection (STS) method to produce picosecond dye laser pulses are presented. Adjustability of the picosecond pulse wavelength, possibility of extension of the STS method to different dyes and to UV pump wavelength, stability of the output pulse duration and intensity, and the concentration effect on pulse duration, are reported for the first time. From these results, production of high power picosecond (50–100 ps) dye laser pulses spectrally adjustable between 400 and 700 nm is obtained with a standard nanosecond pump laser, in a compact and simple device.     

A time-compensated spectral filter for transform-limited tunable picosecond pulse generation from spectro-temporal-selection dye lasers

Diffraction and transform-limited picosecond tunable pulses are generated from Spectro-temporal-Selection (STS) dye lasers by using a new extra-cavity filter. This filter is based on a grazing-incident grating and arranged in the configuration of a folded dispersive delay line. Thus, it provides both high spectral selectivity and controllable temporal compensation for elimination of pulse broadening. Direct production of diffraction- and transform-limited picosecond dye laser (10 µJ, 50 ps) pulses spectrally adjustable between 398 and 702 nm is demonstrated in a compact device, with 8 ns pump pulses from a nanosecond nitrogen laser.     

Generation of coherent tunable deep UV radiation for detection and absorption studies of explosives RDX and TNT

We report a technique for the efficient generation of tunable coherent deep UV radiation and its application in studies of RDX and TNT at the ppm level on the basis of their absorption characteristics. The obtained experimental absorption data are compared with conventional spectrophotometric data. The UV radiation in the range 200–260 nm has been generated by the type-I noncollinear third harmonic of the dye laser radiation (600–700 nm) and also by sum frequency mixing (SFM) of Nd:YAG output (1064 nm) with the second harmonic of the dye laser in β-barium borate (BBO) crystal. The maximum conversion efficiency of the generated signal is estimated to be 57.5% at λ = 218.9 nm wavelength. Apart from measurements of the absorbance of RDX and TNT at different concentrations in their respective solutions, the minimum detection concentrations have also been ascertained. The estimated minimum detectable concentration of RDX is 8.47·10⁻⁹ M, whereas that for TNT is 35.7·10⁻⁹ M. The data were obtained using only ∼100 μJ/pulse of laser energy. Published in Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 6, pp. 516–521, July–August, 2007.     

激光二极管侧面泵浦高功率266 nm紫外激光器

 报道了一种半导体激光列阵侧面泵浦Nd：YAG四倍频266 nm全固态紫外激光器,采用Z型腔结构,Ⅰ类临界相位匹配LBO和BBO晶体分别作为二倍频晶体和四倍频晶体。在调制频率为5 kHz时,最终获得了2.1 W的266 nm紫外激光输出,单脉冲能量420 μJ, 绿光到紫外激光的转换率为13.13%,在相同的泵浦功率下利用V型腔结构仅获得305 mW的266 nm紫外激光输出。     

Drilling rate of five metals with picosecond laser pulses at 355, 532, and 1064 nm

Experimental results on picosecond laser processing of aluminum, nickel, stainless steel, molybdenum, and tungsten are described. Hole drilling is employed for comparative analysis of processing rates in an air environment. Drilling rates are measured over a wide range of laser fluences (0.05–20?J/cm²). Experiments with picosecond pulses at 355?nm are carried out for all five metals and in addition at 532?nm, and 1064?nm for nickel. A comparison of drilling rate with 6-ps and 6-ns pulses at 355?nm is performed. The dependence of drilling rate on laser fluence measured with picosecond pulses demonstrates two logarithmic regimes for all five metals. To determine the transition from one regime to another, a critical fluence is measured and correlated with the thermal properties of the metals. The logarithmic regime at high-fluence range with UV picosecond pulses is reported for the first time. The energy efficiency of material removal for the different regimes is evaluated. The results demonstrate that UV picosecond pulses can provide comparable quality and higher processing rate compared with literature data on ablation with near-IR femtosecond lasers. A significant contribution of two-photon absorption to the ablation process is suggested to explain high processing rate with powerful UV picosecond pulses.     

紫外新激光染料IBOP的研究

本文介绍一种新合成的化合物IBOP.经在多种染料激光器上测试表明,其激光转换效率高,光化学稳定性好,能溶于多种溶剂.性能优于DPS等相同波段的常用激光染料.IBOP在各种溶剂中的激光调谐范围为388～428nm,激光峰值波长在400nm左右.本文给出了IBOP的荧光光谱、吸收光谱、激光特性、溶剂效应和浓度效应等数据,并作了讨论.     

Tunable picosecond transient stimulated Raman scattering in ethanol

Transient stimulated Raman scattering (TSRS) of picosecond dye laser pulses in ethanol has been investigated experimentally. In particular some temporal features of TSRS from the C-H stretching mode (2928 cm^-1) in ethanol have been studied with a Photochron II streak camera with subpicosecond time resolution. It is shown that the use of TSRS provides a simple method for producing picosecond pulses tunable over the spectral region ≈492–532 nm and 691–772 nm by tuning a passively mode-locked Rhodamine 6G dye laser from 575–630 nm.     

真空条件下不同波长固体激光烧蚀单晶硅的实验研究

通过倍频Nd：YAG固体激光的基波得到波长分别为532、355和266 nm的激光,研究了单晶硅（Si）对不同波长固体激光的吸收规律和3种不同波长激光在真空条件下烧蚀单晶Si的烧蚀特征。结果表明,单晶Si对波长为100~370 nm的紫外激光具有很好的吸收效果;在其他条件相同时,532 nm波长激光烧蚀单晶Si所需最低单脉冲能量（Ep=30 μJ）是355和266 nm波长激光烧蚀单晶Si所需最低单脉冲能量（Ep=15 μJ）的2倍;532、355和266 nm的激光烧蚀单晶Si的烧蚀阈值随着波长的变短而变小。     

A Tunable picosecond dye laser based on cavity quenching and spectro-temporal selection

The development of a tunable picosecond dye laser, based on quenching cavity (QC) in an oscillator and spectro-temporal selection (STS) before amplification, is described. A theoretical model was constructed for the calculation of temporal and spectral evolutions of dye laser emission using a series of equations representing population inversions. The pulsewidth, linewidth, and pulse energy, obtained experimentally, were 90 ps, 0.2 nm, and 10 J, respectively. The tunable range, in which a single picosecond pulse can be obtained, was expanded from 4 to 20 nm for a single dye solution by applying QC to STS. Thus, the spectral region was covered from 320 to 360 nm using two laser dyes, i.e., BM-terphenyl and BBQ. Experimental data obtained using the instrument were in reasonably good agreement with values predicted from theory. PACS 42.55.Mv; 42.60.By     

Obtaining Single Picosecond Pulses in a Short-Cavity Dye Laser with Switching of Lasing to the Saturable Absorber

A new method of lasing of single picosecond pulses in a short-cavity dye laser with spatial separation of the lasing medium and the saturable absorber in the case of pumping by nanosecond pulses with energies much higher than the oscillation threshold has been developed and experimentally realized. The method is based on the use of a high-Q, external cavity tuned to the amplification wavelength of the saturable absorber. The first picosecond pulse is lased at a lasing-medium wavelength and the subsequent pulses are lased at a saturable-absorber amplification wavelength.     

532nm皮秒脉冲激光对单晶硅的损伤特性研究

随着光电对抗和超短脉冲激光技术的发展,研究超短脉冲激光与单晶硅相互作用具有非常重要的理论和实际意义.为了进一步明确532 nm皮秒脉冲激光对单晶硅的损伤机理,本文开展了532 nm皮秒脉冲激光辐照单晶硅的损伤效应实验研究,测定了损伤阈值,明确了损伤机理,探讨了低通量下的脉冲累积效应.首先,利用波长为532 nm、脉冲宽...     

Compact, high-pulse-energy, picosecond optical parametric oscillator

We report a high-energy optical parametric oscillator (OPO) synchronously pumped by a 7.19 MHz, Yb:fiber-amplified, picosecond, gain-switched laser diode. The 42-m-long ring cavity maintains a compact design through the use of an intracavity optical fiber. The periodically poled MgO-doped LiNbO(3) OPO provides output pulse energies as high as 0.49 μJ at 1.5 μm (signal) and 0.19 μJ at 3.6 μm (idler). Tunability from 1.5 to 1.7 μm and from 2.9 to 3.6 μm is demonstrated, and typical M(2) values of 1.5 × 1.3 and 2.8 × 1.9 are measured for the signal and idler, respectively, at high power.     

Direct shaping of picosecond high energy deep ultraviolet pulses

We demonstrate temporally shaped pulses in the deep ultraviolet spectral range (270 nm) with energies up to 37 μJ using an efficient prism stretcher and an acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter (AOPDF) applied directly in the UV. The scheme allows for arbitrary phase and amplitude shaping of picosecond UV pulses at high energy in a simple and efficient way.     

Two-photon pumping of random lasers by picosecond and nanosecond lasers

We experimentally demonstrated two-photon pumping of random lasers using picosecond and nanosecond pump lasers. The picosecond laser pumping experiment was performed with 400 ps laser pulses at 770 nm, and the gain media was a Coumarin 480D dye solution doped with TiO₂ nanoparticles. Onset of laser action was observed at a pump laser pulse energy below 500 μJ. The nanosecond laser pumping experiment was performed with 7 ns laser pulses at 1064 nm, and the gain media was a Rhodamine 640 dye solution doped with TiO₂ nanoparticles. Onset of laser action was observed at a pump laser energy ∼18 mJ. Our results suggest that there exists an optimal pulse duration of the pumping laser in two-photon pumped random lasing that leads to minimum photodamage of the gain media and still keeps a high pumping efficiency. PACS 33.50.Dq; 42.55.Mv; 42.55.Zz     

Narrow-band UV radiation (250–260 nm) from intracavity doubling a single-mode ring dye laser

Generation of continuous-wave, tunable UV radiation (250–260 nm) by intracavity doubling a coumarin-515 ring dye laser is described. A cooled (200–280 K) ADP crystal with end faces cut at Brester's angle is placed inside the laser ring cavity which has been compensated for astigmatism and coma. UV output powers at 254 nm of 120 μW and 60 μW are achieved with the laser operating multimode (bandwidth ? 20 GHz) and single-mode (bandwidth ? 50 MHz), respectively. Continuous single-mode scans over the 253.7 nm mercury profile demonstrate sub-Doppler resolution of the Hg 6s6p ³P^O₁ - 6s²¹S₀ transition.     

Sub-5-ps, multimegawatt peak-power pulses from a fiber-amplified and optically compressed passively Q-switched microchip laser

We report on high-energy picosecond pulse generation from a passively Q-switched and fiber-amplified microchip laser system. Initially, the utilized microchip lasers produce pulses with durations of around 100 ps at 1064 nm central wavelength. These pulses are amplified to energies exceeding 100 μJ, simultaneously chirped and spectrally broadened by self-phase modulation using a double stage amplifier based on single-mode LMA photonic crystal fibers at repetition rates of up to 1 MHz. Subsequently, the pulse duration of chirped pulses is reduced by means of nonlinear pulse compression to durations of 2.7 ps employing a conventional grating compressor and 4.7 ps using a compact compressor based on a chirped volume Bragg grating.     

Efficient generation of tunable VUV laser radiation below 205 nm by SFM in BBO

Design and performance characteristics of a tunable dye laser system for sum frequency mixing (SFM) in a BBO crystal are presented. The system is composed of two tunable pulsed dye lasers pumped synchronously by the second harmonic of a commercial Nd:YAG laser. The radiation produced by the first dye laser is frequency doubled by second-harmonic generation (SHG) in KDP and subsequently mixed by SFM in BBO with the light of the second dye laser. The interest was focussed on generation of tunable laser radiation below 205 nm with high output power and long-time wavelength stability. High conversion efficiencies enable output energies of 100 J (20 kW) at 196 nm using only moderate Nd:YAG pump energies of 67 mJ. Altogether, a laser system with very good specifications for analytical application in the near VUV spectral region is reported.