Active long pulse shaping technique of pulsed CO2 laser using multi-pulse discharge control

We describe the pulse forming of pulsed CO₂ laser using multi-pulse superposition technique. Various pulse shapes, high duty cycle pulse forming network (PFN) are constructed by time sequence. This study shows a technology that makes it possible to make various long pulse shapes by activating SCRs of three PFN modules consecutively at a desirable delay time with the aid of a PIC one-chip microprocessor. The power supply for this experiment consists of three PFN modules. Each PFN module uses a capacitor, a pulse forming inductor, a SCR, a high voltage pulse transformer, and a bridge rectifier on each transformer secondary. The PFN modules operate at low voltage by driving the primary of HV pulse transformer. The secondary of the transformer has a full-wave rectifier, which passes the pulse energy to the load in a continuous sequence.We investigated various long pulse shapes as different trigger time intervals of SCRs among three PFN modules. As a result, we could obtain laser beam with various pulse shapes and durations from about 250 to 1000 μs.     

Time structure of iodine laser pulse in the free running mode of operation

Time structure of iodine laser pulse in the free running mode of operation was studied using the power amplifier of laser system PERUN as the laser oscillator. Two characteristic shapes of laser pulse correspond to different regimes of laser operation, the existence of which is ascribed to the critical concentration of I₂ molecules. Simultaneously an additional chemical pumping was proved at least in the initial phase of photodissociation and in a late-time lasing after the end of flashlamps pumping light.     

Repetition Operation of Flashlamp Pumped Ti: sapphire Laser

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A reliable high average power dye laser

A flashlamp-pumped dye laser with an average output power of 6.6 W at 100 Hz repetition rate is described, which utilizes thyristors as switching elements instead of the normally used spark gaps. Using a simmering-mode operation of the flashlamps, no high voltage sparks are required to initiate the discharge even at low capacitor voltages. In this way the amplitude and time jitter of the laser output pulse are decreased and the life and reliability of the laser considerably increased.     

Study of basic characteristics of radiation of flashlamps with microsecond discharge lengths

Spectral and temporal characteristics of xenon flashlamps are studied theoretically for the case of high-power nonstationary discharges of microsecond lengths. It is shown that several factors affect them simultaneously under these conditions: parameters of electric discharge pulse, thermal inertia of a heated gas, and the region of transparency of a lamp envelope.     

二极管泵浦无机液体激光器出光实验研究

 为探索新的高能激光体系，搭建了二极管泵浦的液体激光器。采用激光二极管作为泵浦光源，单侧泵浦掺钕离子的无机激光液体，进行了出光实验。通过测量输出光束的近场分布、脉冲波形和光谱，证实实现了激光输出，输出激光的波长为1 053 nm。输出的单脉冲激光能量达到47 mJ，光-光转换效率达到14%。其光-光转换效率高出闪光灯泵浦液体条件下2个数量级，说明该激光体系具有向高能激光体系发展的前景。     

补偿脉冲发电机放电波形优化方法

基于一台两相四极空心补偿脉冲发电机,研究了多相脉冲电机放电波形调节的最优化问题。对补偿脉冲发电机的三种典型负载:电磁轨道炮、脉冲激光器和电热化学炮的基本特性进行了阐述,针对这三种负载分别提出了相应的优化指标,分析了量化脉冲波形对负载的适用程度,并将波形优化问题转化为函数优化问题。在建立了脉冲电机放电数学模型的基础上,使用差分进化算法对优化问题进行求解,找到最优点火角组合。对电磁轨道炮,优化指标为弹丸加速度比。将加速度比的概念进行拓展,可得到适用于脉冲激光器的尖顶脉冲。对电热化学炮,提出了“形状方差”的概念,消除了电流幅值的影响,能够较好地衡量脉冲形状的适用性。仿真结果表明,提出的脉冲波形优化指标是有效的,在智能优化算法的帮助下,能够通过控制量的组合得到不同类型负载的最优波形。     

Fast high-voltage pulse generator with nonlinear transmission linefor high repetition rate operation

A new application of the nonlinear transmission line (NLTL) for high-voltage pulse generation is reported. In this NLTL, a rise time of an input pulse voltage of 20-kV amplitude can be reduced from 500 to less than 120 ns. Using this circuit, we demonstrated excitation of a pulsed CO₂ laser, and obtained output energy of 129 mJ at an efficiency of 4.3%. Moreover, we find that the head-on collision of two solitons is quite effective to generate a high-voltage and short-width pulse. The input pulse is doubled in amplitude and sharpened in width, from 3.6 kV-300 ns to 11 kV-76 ns. With this method, the utilization of semiconductor devices such as the SI thyristor is possible as a primary switching device. Finally, a xenon lamp has been flashed at a repetition rate of 1 kHz     

高功率脉冲氙灯中的等离子体放电通道

研究了高功率脉冲氙灯放电过程中等离子体通道的演化规律。分析了充电电压、主脉冲脉宽及主预脉冲时间间隔等对等离子体通道的影响规律。实验过程中在脉冲氙灯接地端子附近观察到了明显的等离子体通道分叉现象。研究发现,脉冲氙灯工作环境中的电场分布对氙灯内等离子体通道的形成与演化特性将产生十分重要的影响,其决定了等离子体通道的形态。其他影响因素则通过改变放电通道的亮度、均匀度与充盈度等特征施加其影响。     

Simulation of rippled structure adjustments based on localized transient electron dynamics control by femtosecond laser pulse trains

This study investigates the effects of pulse energy distributions on subwavelength ripple structures (the ablation shapes and subwavelength ripples) using the plasma model with the consideration of laser particle–wave duality. In the case studies, the laser pulse (800 nm, 50 fs) trains consist of double pulses within a train with the energy ratios of 1:2, 1:1, and 2:1. Localized transient electron densities, material optical properties, and surface plasmon generation are strongly affected by the energy distributions. Hence, the adjustment of the ablation shape and subwavelength ripples can be achieved based on localized transient electron dynamics control during femtosecond laser pulse train processing of dielectrics. The simulation results show that better, more uniform structures, in terms of ablation shapes and subwavelength ripples, can be easily formed at a lower fluence or subpulse energy ratio of 1:1 with a fixed fluence. It is also found that pulse trains at a 1:1 energy ratio are preferred for drilling high-aspect-ratio microholes or microchannels.     

超短光脉冲波形对门模单光子探测的影响

采用两种不同的皮秒光脉冲波形进行了门模单光子探测实验.测量了单光子探测效率随探测器和超短脉冲光源之间的同步延迟细微调节时的变化曲线.结果表明：光脉冲波形直接影响光子到达时间与门脉冲时间窗口之间的精确同步和探测效率,使用其中一种脉宽较短的皮秒光脉冲时探测效率比使用另一种脉冲提高了约9%.     

氪灯发光总功率和氙灯发光总能量检测设备

根据氪灯、氙灯发光的工作原理,介绍了氪灯发光总功率和氙灯发光总能量检测系统。该系统可以对氪灯发光总功率和氙灯发光总能量进行批量检验,使用户能在相关激光产品的生产和装配过程中对其进行质量控制,从而提高了激光产品的合格率,缩短了生产时间。在连续氪灯和脉冲氙灯的入厂检验中,氪灯发光总功率和氙灯发光总能量是需要检测的主要技术指标。新型氪灯、氙灯性能综合检测系统是通过采用积分球、功率计以及能量计来检测氪灯的发光总功率和氙灯的发光总能量的。设备由:积分球、功率计、能量计、氪灯和氙灯支架及冷却系统、氪灯和氙灯电源等五部分组成。     

傅里叶变换光谱分析系统及其测试

构建了一套改进的光的时间相干性以及傅里叶光谱分析实验系统,该系统利用光机电以及计算机软件编程技术,实时采集以He-Ne激光器、钠光灯和白炽灯为代表的各种光源在迈克耳孙干涉仪上产生的干涉条纹信号,将得到的光信号经光电倍增管转换为电信号进入电路系统,经滤波、A/D转换后,再输送到计算机进行傅里叶变换以及频谱分析.实验结果证实了该系统的有效性和实用性.     

高峰值功率KDP晶体四倍频266nm紫外激光器

报道了一种灯泵浦结构的Nd:YAG晶体电光调Q高峰值功率266nm紫外激光器。结合磷酸二氢钾(KDP)晶体性质,基于倍频理论,分析了考虑走离效应情况下存在相位失配量时KDP晶体长度对转换效率的影响。该激光器采用紧凑的平平腔结构,灯泵浦Nd:YAG晶体电光调Q 1064nm激光作为基频光,腔外采用Ⅱ类匹配磷酸钛氧钾(KTP)和Ⅰ类匹配KDP分别作为二倍频和四倍频晶体。利用能量计、示波器等仪器进行测量,激光器重复频率1Hz时,获得脉宽6.0ns,单脉冲能量35mJ的266nm紫外激光输出,峰值功率高达5.83 MW;当重复频率10Hz时,获得单脉冲能量28.9mJ的266nm紫外激光。532~266nm转换效率最高可达31.9%。利用该高峰值功率、窄脉宽266nm紫外激光器,能够实现激光打标、激光雕刻。     

Characterization of laser processing of single‐crystal natural diamonds using micro‐Raman spectroscopic investigations

The application of lasers for processing diamond has revolutionized the diamond industry and its applications in microelectronics, microelectromechanical system (MEMS) and microoptoelectromechanical system (MOEMS) technologies. The process quality can be evaluated using spectroscopic techniques. In the present investigation, four different types of Q‐switched solid‐state lasers (with different beam parameters), namely, a lamp‐pumped Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm, a lamp‐pumped Nd:YAG laser operating at second harmonically generated 532 nm, a diode‐pumped Nd:YVO₄ laser operating at 1064 nm and a diode‐pumped Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm, have been employed for the processing of a single‐crystal, gem‐quality, natural diamond. The main objective behind the selection of these lasers with different beam parameters was to study the effect of wavelength, pulse width, pulse energy, peak power and beam quality factor (M² factor) on various aspects of processing (such as microcracking, material loss and cut surface quality) and their relative merits and demerits. The overall weight loss of the diamond and formation of microcracks during processing have been studied for the above four cases. The characteristics of the graphite formed during processing, elemental analysis, surface morphology of the cut surface and process dynamics have been studied using micro‐Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We observed that laser cutting of single‐crystal diamonds used for industrial applications can be accomplished without microcracking or surface distortion using Q‐switched Nd:YAG lasers. This allows direct processing without extensive postgrinding and polishing stages. Very efficient diamond processing is possible using diode‐pumped lasers, which results in the lowest possible breakage rate, good accuracy, good surface finish and low weight loss. From the micro‐Raman and SEM studies, it is concluded that the surface quality obtained is superior when diode‐pumped Nd:YVO₄ laser is used, owing to its extremely high peak power. The maximum graphite content is observed while processing with lamp‐pumped Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm. An overall comparison of all the laser sources leads to the conclusion that diode‐pumped Nd:YAG laser is a superior option for the efficient processing of natural diamond crystals. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Time‐resolved ion imaging at free‐electron lasers using TimepixCam

The application of a novel fast optical‐imaging camera, TimepixCam, to molecular photoionization experiments using the velocity‐map imaging technique at a free‐electron laser is described. TimepixCam is a 256 × 256 pixel CMOS camera that is able to detect and time‐stamp ion hits with 20 ns timing resolution, thus making it possible to record ion momentum images for all fragment ions simultaneously and avoiding the need to gate the detector on a single fragment. This allows the recording of significantly more data within a given amount of beam time and is particularly useful for pump–probe experiments, where drifts, for example, in the timing and pulse energy of the free‐electron laser, severely limit the comparability of pump–probe scans for different fragments taken consecutively. In principle, this also allows ion–ion covariance or coincidence techniques to be applied to determine angular correlations between fragments.     

Simple electro-optic technique to generate temporally flat-top laser pulses

A simple technique is presented to generate temporally flat-top shaped laser pulses using electro-optic modulator (Pockels cell). It involves splitting of input laser pulse into two halves of equal intensity and then stacking together with appropriate optical delay to get a temporally flat-top laser pulse. It also allows generation of other pulse shapes by varying the relative intensity, delay, and phase between two halves of the input laser pulse. Temporally flat-top laser pulses of duration ~ 9 ns have been generated using ~ 7 ns duration incident laser pulses from a flash lamp pumped Q-switched Nd:glass laser oscillator. The rise and fall-time of the shaped pulse is limited by speed of electro-optic switch (Pockels cell), which is ~ 2 ns in the present case.     

Effect of time profile of laser pulse on the excitation of sound signals in a liquid with a series of laser pulses

We have studied the sound generation with high repetition rate pulsed laser. We have solved the inhomogeneous wave equation for acoustic pressure in a liquid generated by a laser, using Green’s function formalism and convolution technique. To obtain the maximum pressure of the sound waves, we found the conditions on repetition rate and on period of laser pulse of various shapes. Our analysis shows that the sound generated in a liquid with a series of laser pulses is highly affected by the time profile of the pulses besides other parameters, namely laser beam diameter, laser beam optical wavelength, repetition rate and period of laser pulse. This effect is pronounced particularly in frequency domain. We found that the noise of higher harmonics in the generated sound can be greatly removed with the proper choice of the time profile of the laser pulses. It is found that the pressure is generated around the fundamental frequency for the half-sine and rectangular pulses, with the proper choice of repetition rate and period of pulse. The application of the present analysis for underwater communication is pointed out.     

Performance characteristics of a Nd: glass laser amplifier from fluorescence emission studies

The dependence of cavity transfer efficiency of a Nd: glass laser amplifier on flashlamp current density is obtained from the analysis of amplified fluorescence. The cavity transfer efficiency decreases as the current density through the flashlamps is increased. The use of the fluorescence method in optimizing the flashlamp pulse duration for achieving maximum gain in the amplifier is illustrated.     

A short pulse, free running, Nd : YAG laser for the cleaning of stone cultural heritage

This paper presents a Nd : YAG laser operating in free running (FR) regime, with a pulse duration (20 μs) shorter than conventional systems (>200 μs), mainly developed for applications in laser cleaning of stones, especially for the restoration of cultural heritage. The system was also optimized to achieve high energy and low divergence, for easy coupling with optical fibers. The unusual pulse temporal regime induces a spiky behavior of the laser output which could also help in the application. Details on the technologies for the flashlamps power supplies, including the discharge circuits needed to achieve the short pulses, are given. Application trials on artworks and artificial samples are also discussed. Results show that the intermediate pulse duration avoids the mechanical damage induced by the photomechanical effect of Q-switch lasers and the thermal damage, as superficial melting, usually induced by long pulse FR lasers.