Modeling of large flattened mode area fiber lasers

Potentialities of independent tailoring the index and gain profiles in fiber laser aiming to achieve a strong modal discrimination are theoretically examined. It is demonstrated by numerical simulations existence of fiber amplifier constructions which have the flattened fundamental mode profile in the gain region. It is shown that the fundamental mode retain the largest modal gain in comparison with modal gains of higher-order-modes for any depletion of the gain by the fundamental mode. The particular design is presented with the flattened fundamental mode area 6360 μm squared.     

Electric generators of singlet delta oxygen for an oxygen-iodine laser

Experimental and theoretical research into electric generators of singlet delta oxygen (SDO) for an oxygen-iodine laser made at the Lebedev Physics Institute and TRINITI is discussed. Breakdown and current-voltage characteristics of self-sustained electric discharge in SDO were studied both experimentally and theoretically, indicating that SDO and pure oxygen have quite different electric features. The electric properties and spectroscopy of an e-beam sustained discharge (EBSD) in oxygen and oxygen gas mixtures were experimentally studied. A comprehensive numerical model describing SDO kinetics in different kinds of discharge was developed. The pulsed EBSD in pure oxygen and its mixtures with noble gases was shown to be very unstable and characterized by low input energy. When adding small amounts of carbon monoxide or hydrogen, the electric stability of the EBSD increases, the specific input energy (SIE) per molecular component being more than order of magnitude higher and coming to 6.5 kJ/(l atm(O₂ + CO)) for the gas mixture O₂: Ar: CO = 1: 1: 0.1. Theoretical calculations demonstrated that, for an SIE of 6.5 kJ/(l atm), the SDO yield may reach ∼20%, exceeding its threshold value needed for oxygen-iodine laser operation at room temperature. The calibration of the optical scheme for measuring the SDO absolute concentration and yield using the detection of luminescence of the SDO going from a chemical SDO generator was performed. The measurement of the SDO yield demonstrated that it was ∼10.5% for an SIE of ∼3.0 kJ/(l atm(O2 + CO)), which is about 1.5 times less than the results of theoretical calculations for such an SIE. SDO production in RF slab discharge ignited in oxygen gas mixtures was experimentally studied, experimental SDO yield being about 10%. The choice of electrode material was demonstrated to be very important. Original Text ? Astro, Ltd., 2006.     

Numerical modeling of a XeCl laser excited by microwave discharge

12 , 169 (1987). Reasonably good agreements in the peak output power and laser efficiency have been achieved. Model calculations also predict that an efficiency as high as 2.7% can be obtained once the conditions of the above-mentioned experiments have been optimized. From the consideration that the skin depth effectively limits the absorption length of the microwave pumping and hence the excitable volume, it is concluded that high input power densities (>2 MW/cm³) and higher gas pressures (between 3 and 10 atm) are the preferable conditions to achieve higher efficiency. Preliminary calculations on CCl₄ containing XeCl gas mixtures show that improvement in laser efficiency by several folds may be achieved as a result of the higher intrinsic efficiency of excimer formation. Received: 23 September 1996 / Revised version: 25 March 1997     

Theoretical studies on microscopic and macroscopic nonuniformities in electric-discharge-excited XeCl lasers

The satbilit r of the pumping discharge for XeCI (Ne/Xe/HCI) lasers is investigated by using different one-dimensional models, considering both bulk discharge instabilities and filamentary ones. It is found that the bulk stability in a XeCl laser discharge can he improved, under certain conditions, due to the vihrational excitation of HCl molecules: this effect is studied by using different models for the HCl vihrational kinetics. It is established that the very short instability time found in experiments cannot he explained as a result of hulk instability of the discharge. On the other hand, a satisfactory comparison with experiments can he obtained by adding to the model a simplified microinstability which develops in the discharge.     

Pulsed first-overtone CO laser: effective source of IR radiation in spectral range of 2.5–4.0 μm

Spectral properties of radiation of a pulsed electron-beam controlled discharge laser operating on the first-overtone transitions (Δv=2) of CO molecules have been studied both experimentally and theoretically. Various sets of dielectric mirrors with high reflectivity in the wide range of overtone spectrum have been used for the laser resonator. Multiwavelength lasing has been obtained in the wide spectral range of 2.5–4.0 μm. Efficiency of the laser operating on few vibrational transitions within a relatively narrow spectral range comes up to 5% at entirely suppressed fundamental band (Δv=1) lasing. Spectral characteristics of the overtone laser operating on a selected set of vibrational transitions have been analyzed theoretically. A comparison of the experimental and theoretical data has been made.     

Frequency tunable single-line pulsed first-overtone carbon monoxide laser

Tunable single-line first-overtone (FO) CO lasing on wavelengths from 2.7 up to 4.2 μm corresponding to overtone vibrational transitions from 13→11 up to 38→36 on 413 ro-vibrational lines was experimentally obtained. A parametric study of energetic and spectral characteristics of the single-line FO CO laser was carried out. Energy distribution over ro-vibrational lines was measured. The maximum specific output energy (SOE) came up to 3 J/l Amagat, with single-line output efficiency being up to 0.6%. For the first time, a multi-quantum theoretical model was used to describe the tunable single-line FO CO laser. This multi-quantum approach demonstrated better agreement between theoretical calculations and observed experimental data for laser output as a function of vibrational quantum numbers.     

Strong amplified spontaneous emission and lasing from a narrow-gap RF-excited Ar-He-Xe gas mixture

The performance of a RF excited cw atomic xenon laser at wavelengths of 2.03 μm and 2.65 μm was studied theoretically and experimentally as a function of electrode distance. Results for inter-electrode distances from 2 to 0.25 mm are presented. A high pumping rate resulted in strong 40 mW cw amplified spontaneous emission at 2.65 μm wavelength from the configuration with the smallest distance of 0.25 mm between the electrodes. The maximum laser output of 2.7 W (0.24 W/cm³) was obtained with an active medium volume of 2×15×370 mm³ whereas the maximum specific output of 1.9 W/cm³ was received for an active medium volume of 0.25×2.25×370 mm³. A fluid model of the RF discharge was developed to analyze the laser behavior for different distances between the electrodes. Received: 30 November 1999 / Revised version: 21 April 2000 / Published online: 6 September 2000     

Simple design of an edge-emitting diode laser for preventing spatial multimoding via thermal lensing

The parameters of a diode-laser structure composed of a pair of built-in high-index regions for providing stable, single-spatial-mode operation to high cw powers are numerically found. A three-dimensional numerical code has been implemented that takes into account carrier diffusion in the quantum well and thermal lensing. The laser characteristics are calculated as functions of the above-threshold drive level. Within the simulation, higher-order optical modes on a "frozen background" are computed via the Arnoldi algorithm. Then, for a 6-μm-wide low-index core and 2-3-mm-long devices, stable single-mode operation up to multiwatt-level (2-3 W) cw output power is predicted.