Heterodyne frequency measurements on carbonyl sulfide near 1050 cm

Heterodyne techniques have been used to measure the frequency differences between carbonyl sulfide (OCS) absorption lines and CO₂ laser transitions. A tunable diode laser was used both to scan the OCS absorption spectrum and to provide a beat signal against a CO₂ laser. Frequency differences as great as 8.6 GHz were measured. Many different OCS hot-band transitions were measured near 1050 cm⁻¹, and the measurements on the 02⁰0-00⁰0 band have been extended to such high J levels (J′ = 86) that higher-order centrifugal distortion terms are needed to fit the data.     

Cross section of supercooled238UF6 in multiphoton absorption induced by 16 micrometer Raman-laser radiation

Measurements of multiphoton absorption of 16 µm Raman-laser radiation in supercooled²³⁸UF₆ at 90 K were performed by using a pulsed Laval nozzle with an optical path length of 50 cm. The laser fluence was varied between 50 and 500 mJ/cm² for four frequencies in the range from 625 to 629 cm^–1. The energy absorbed by²³⁸UF₆ molecules was investigated as a function of laser frequency or fluence, and highly accurate results were obtained with the use of the nozzle whose optical path length is much greater than that of nozzles used before. The results indicated that the absorption cross section at the peak absorption frequency (627.8cm^–1) was proportional to the –1/3 power of the fluence.     

Absorption of subpicosecond ultraviolet laser pulses in high-density plasma

The absorption of 250 fs KrF laser pulses incident on solid targets of aluminum, copper and gold has been measured for normal incidence as a function of laser intensity in the range of 10¹²–10¹⁴ W cm^–2 and as a function of polarization and angle of incidence for the intensity range of 10¹⁴–2.5×10¹⁵ W cm^–2. As the intensity increases from 10¹² W cm^–2 the reflectivity at normal incidence changes from the low-intensity mirror reflectivity value to values in the range of 0.5–0.61 at 10¹⁴ W cm^–2. For this intensity maximum absorption of 63–80% has been observed for p-polarized radiation at angles of incidence in the range of 54°–57°, increasing with atomic number. The results are compared with the expected Fresnel reflectivity from a sharp vacuum-plasma interface with the refractive index given by the Drude model and also to numerical calculations of reflectivity for various scale length density profiles. Qualitative agreement is found with the Fresnel/Drude model and quantitative agreement is noticed with the numerical calculations of absorption on a steep density profile with normalized collision frequencies, v/, in the range of 0.13–0.15 at critical density and normalized density gradient scale lengths, L/₀, in the range of 0.018–0.053 for a laser intensity of 10¹⁴ W cm^–2.At 2.5×10¹⁵ W cm^–2 a small amount of preplasma is present and maximum absorption of 64–76% has been observed for p-polarized radiation at angles of incidence in the range of 45°–50°.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Rudolf Wienecke on the occasion of his 65^th birthdayOn leave from: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2G7, Canada     

Heterodyne frequency measurements of carbonyl sulfide transitions at 26 and 51 THz. Improved OCS,O13CS,and OC34S molecular constants

Heterodyne frequency measurements were made on selected absorption features of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) near 26 THz (860 cm^?1) and 51 THz (1700 cm^?1). Frequency differences were measured between a tunable diode laser (TDL) locked to carbonyl sulfide absorption lines and either a stabilized ¹³CO₂ laser or a CO laser which was referred to stabilized CO₂ lasers. These measurements are combined with conventional TDL measurements and published microwave measurements to obtain new, more reliable molecular constants for OCS, O¹³CS, and OC³⁴S. New frequency measurements are given for nine CO laser transitions between 1686 and 1726 cm^?1.     

R branch tuning characteristics of the13CH3F Raman FIR laser

Summary We described a¹³CH₃F Raman laser pumped by a grating tuned 20 atmospheres CO₂ laser. The emission characteristics of the¹³CH₃F laser extends from 14 cm^–1–35 cm^–1 and from 49 cm^–1–72 cm^–1; about 65% of these frequency ranges can be covered with tunable radiation. The characteristics shows a strong dependence on the rotaional quantum numbers of the states involved in the Raman laser transitions and, within each tuning interval, on the frequency offset with respect to the frequencies of resonant transitions. We obtained, at 51 cm^–1, a maximum FIR laser pulse energy of about 800 J (at a pump energy of 200 mJ), corresponding to a photon conversion of about 8%. In some cases we have observed simultaneous emission at a Raman and a cascade frequency. In addition, FIR emission power dependence on¹³CH₃F gas pressure and pump pulse power were investigated for different J quantum numbers.     

The absorption of pulsed CO2-laser radiation by tetrafluorosilane at various wavenumbers,fluences, pulse durations,temperatures, optical path lengths and pressures of absorbing and non-absorbing gases

The absorption of three linesP(30) (1037.4 cm^–1),P(36) (1031.5 cm^–1) andP(40) (1027.4cm^–1) of the pulsed CO₂ laser (00⁰1–02⁰0 transition) by SiF₄ was examined at various pulse energies, pulse durations, temperatures, optical path lengths and pressures of this compound and several non-absorbing gases. In addition, the low-intensity infrared absorption spectrum of tetrafluorosilane was compared with high-intensity absorption data for all lines of the laser. The experimental dependences demonstrate nonlinear features of the absorption phenomena originating from the high power of the incident radiation and collisions of absorbing molecules with surroundings. These effects are included in the analytical formula, being an extended form of the Lambert-Beer law. which reasonably approximates all experimental data. The importance of the results obtained for understanding general features of multiphoton absorption and for revealing potential applications of SiF₄ as a sensitizer for the infrared region is presented in brief.     

H2S : First Observation of the (70,0) Local Mode Pair and Updated Global Effective Vibrational Hamiltonian

The absorption spectrum of H₂S has been recorded by intracavity laser absorption spectroscopy in the spectral region 16 180–16 440 cm⁻¹ corresponding to an excitation of the (70^±, 0) local mode pair. Seventy-seven sublevels could be rotationally assigned and fitted with a rms of 0.009 cm⁻¹ by considering the (70^±, 0) local mode pair as isolated. The corresponding vibrational terms combined with all the levels reported in the literature were used to refine the effective vibrational Hamiltonian parameters of H₂³²S. The importance of the Fermi-type interaction is discussed.     

Xe2Cl fluorescence and absorption in self-sustained discharge XeCl lasers

Fluorescence at 490 nm from the triatomic excimer Xe₂Cl^* has been investigated to determine the 308 nm absorption due to this species in an x-ray preionized, self-sustained gas discharge XeCl laser. The dependence of Xe₂Cl^* density on laser intensity (at 308 nm), buffer gas and Xe and HCl partial pressures has been determined for discharges with a peak electrical power deposition of 2.5 GWl^–1. Xe₂Cl^* absorption is estimated to reach 0.6% cm^–1 under non-lasing conditions but decreases to a non-saturable 0.2% cm^–1 for intracavity laser intensity>1 MW cm^–2. XeCl^* and Xe₂Cl^* fluorescence intensities were found to be a similar for both helium and neon buffer gases but laser output was a factor of two greater with a neon buffer.     

Measurements of the linewidth of a continuous-wave distributed feedback quantum cascade laser

Two-sample (Allan) variance with a modified algorithm was applied to the determination of the experimental linewidth of a thermoelectrically-cooled continuous-wave distributed feedback quantum cascade laser at a wavelength of 4.333 μm. From successive laser transmittance scans over the CO₂ ν₃, (01¹1 − 01¹0) P(33) absorption line at 2307.653 cm^− 1, two-sample variances were calculated for the laser frequency difference between different points on the sides of the absorption peak. From the minimum two-sample variance of the laser frequency difference between two adjacent points (5 μs between the points) on the same side of the absorption line the experimental laser linewidth was estimated to be less than 36(7) kHz at a laser power of ~ 25 mW, a laser current of 976 mA and a laser temperature of + 19.5 °C.     

Efficient production of13C2F4 in the infrared laser photolysis of CHClF2

We report the isotopically selective decomposition of chlorodifluoromethane. Chlorodifluoromethane is used industrially in high volume for the production of tetrafluoroethylene and its polymers; thereby it is an attractive working substrate for a medium scale isotope separation process, both in terms of its price and availability.We have studied the infrared multiphoton decomposition of carbon-13 substituted chlorodifluoromethane molecules present at their natural abundance (1.11%). A well defined CO₂ laser pulse (80 ns FWHM) was used and both the yield of carbon-13 enriched product and the net absorption of laser radiation were measured. These measurements were made as a function of substrate pressure (10-800 Torr), CO₂ laser line (9P 12–9P 32) and fluence (2–8 J cm^–2) and were used to determine the energy expenditure per carbon atom produced () at specified product carbon-13 content in the range 30%–96%. The results of these parametric studies were interpreted in terms of the kinetics of multiphoton absorption and dissociation, and allowed an initial optimization of the experimental conditions to minimize .Optimum results were obtained at 1046.9 cm^–1, 69 cm^–1 to the red of the¹²CHClF₂ v ₉ band center. Irradiation of 100 Torr of chlorodifluoromethane at 3.5 J cm^–2 gave tetrafluoroethylene containing 50% carbon-13 for an absorption of 140 photons (0.017 keV) per carbon atom produced. This efficiency compares favourably with existing carbon-13 enrichment technologies and would require an absorption pathlength of only 2 m to absorb half the incident photons.Issued as NRCC 20112