Saturation of resonant frequency conversion processes in cadmium vapour

We have investigated two-photon resonant up conversion of 375 to 159 nm coherent radiation using the four-frequency process ₁₅₉=2₃₇₅+₁₀₄₀ in cadmium vapour, where the ir component (1040 nm) is internally generated by the 375 nm pump tuned to the Cd two-photon transition 5s ^{2 1} S ₀5s6s ¹ S ₀. Scaling laws and tuning behaviour of both the 159 and 1040 nm output power were measured up to 1×10⁸ W cm^–2 pump intensity and 2×10¹⁷ cm^–3 Cd number density. The results are compared to numerical calculations based on semiclassical theory in a stationary perturbation approximation up to third order. Here, in accordance with experimental results, the ir component was assumed to originate from a superposition of stimulated emission and parametric generation. The observed saturation effects turned out to be mainly due to population changes of the atomic levels involved and are qualitatively reproduced by calculations. Discrepancies with respect to absolute output levels are discussed in terms of the approximations in the theoretical formalism.