A tunable,frequency-doubled cw dye laser using an RDP crystal

We report a c.w. intracavity, frequency doubled, rhodamine B dye laser using an RDP crystal 5 cm long. Generated uv powers up to 15 mW are obtained in a single direction with a linewidth of 2 GHz over the range 314–318 nm. A conversion efficiency of about 1.25 × 10^-3 W^-1 is measured.     

High-resolution spectroscopy of SO2 using a frequency-doubled,continuous-wave dye laser

The SO₂ molecule is of considerable interest in the context of atmospheric pollution, and in many laser monitoring techniques the ultraviolet absorption band at 300 nm is used to determine SO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere. Recent laboratory experiments with a resolution of 2 × 10^-3 nm showed that variations could occur in absorption cross-section measurements made with different laser bandwidths due to unresolved fine structure. We have investigated absorption spectra with a line width of 3 × 10^-6 nm, using a frequency-doubled continuous-wave dye laser, and have confirmed the existence of fine structure in the absorption even when collisionally broadened with an atmosphere of nitrogen. These measurements provide a data base from which valid absorption cross sections may be calculated for all monitoring laser bandwidths. We estimate the pressure broadening coefficient for nitrogen in this wavelength region as 83 ± 38 kHz Pa^-1 (11 ± 5 MHz torr^-1). The temperature dependence of the absorption cross-section was also investigated.     

All-solid-state continuous-wave yellow laser based on intracavity frequency-doubled self-Raman laser action

We report continuous-wave yellow emission from a compact Nd:YVO₄ self-Raman laser with intra-cavity frequency-doubling in LBO, pumped by a 4.5 W high-brightness diode laser. A maximum yellow output of 140 mW was observed with an overall optical (diode-to-yellow) conversion efficiency of 4.4%, and with a high beam quality (M²∼1.2). A variety of different resonator configurations were investigated in order to achieve low threshold, highest output powers and efficiency, and to investigate amplitude stability. PACS 42.55.Xi; 42.55.Ye; 42.65.Ky     

A compact frequency-doubled 10-kHz PRF copper-vapour-laser-pumped dye laser

A 10-kHz pulse-repetition-frequency dye-laser master-oscillator power amplifier, end-pumped by a copper vapour laser (CVL), is reported. This laser was based on recently available, lightweight and compact CVL and dye laser components. Dye laser tunability was achieved from 592 to 622 nm and, when the oscillator was etalon line-narrowed, up to 1.5 W of single-etalon-mode output was obtained from the amplifier at the 608-nm peak tuning wavelength. By frequency doubling this amplified output in a BBO crystal we obtained up to 225 mW of 5-GHz 308-nm output, which is suitable for the performance of tropospheric hydroxyl radical concentration measurements. Received: 16 July 2002 / Revised version: 6 November 2002 / Published online: 5 February 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Present address: Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK RID="**" ID="**"Corresponding author. Fax: +44-1865/272400, E-mail: d.coutts1@physics.ox.ac.uk     

A powerful broad band tunable dye laser

Perchloric acid solutions of 4 methylumbelliferone pumped by a second harmonic of ruby provide a high efficiency (20% conversion yield of pumping source) broad band (5600-4600 Å) tunable dye laser. Some effects of chemical quenching on the efficiency of this protonic exciplex laser were investigated.     

A tunable,single mode,injection-locked flashlamp pumped dye laser

A tunable, very narrow bandwidth, flashpumped dye laser is described. Publse energies up to 50 mJ at a bandwidth of less than 30 MHz, and with a divergence of 0.4 mrad, are obtained. Spectral narrowing and tuning is achieved by injection locking of the pulsed laser to the radiation, of a tunable cw dye laser. The cavity is designed for single longitudinal and transverse mode operation, with a mode diameter large enough to fill the active medium. This work was supported in part by the Israel commission for Basic Research, and in part by a grant from the United States Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), Jerusalem, Israel.     

Watt-level continuous-wave intracavity frequency-doubled Pr:YLF-LBO laser at 320 nm

We report on diode-pumped continuous-wave Pr-doped yttrium lithium fluoride(Pr:YLF) laser and its frequency doubling to320 nm. The maximum output power of the 640 nm fundamental wave reached 3.44 W with a slope efficiency of about 48.3%.Using a type-I phase-matched lithium triborate(LBO) crystal as a frequency doubler, we have achieved 320 nm ultraviolet radiation with a maximum output power of 1.01 W, which is the highest power ever reported under diode pumping, to the best of our knowledge.     

Thin-film narrowband tunable dye laser

We report a relatively simple system for obtaining a smoothly frequency tunable narrowband laser radiation. The action of the system is based on the possibility of quasiwaveguide generation of the amplifying layer inserted between two passive dielectric media. The retunable radiation in the wavelength range 570–610 nm was obtained and the generation line width was 0.01 nm.     

Subpicosecond,widely tunable distributed feedback dye laser

A simple, achromatic, widely tunable distributed feedback dye laser arrangement is described. It makes use of a microscope objective, which images a transmission grating into the active medium. With this arrangement subpicosecond operation and broad tunability (400–760 nm) is reported.     

Direct absorption spectroscopy using a rapidly tunable CW dye laser

Using a recently developed electronically tunable cw dye laser, the spectrum of an absorption sample could be obtained and repeatedly scanned every 10 μsec. The system is potentially capable of monitoring spectral changes in times as short as 10^?7 sec.     

Simultaneous tunable two-wavelength ultraviolet dye laser

A dye laser system allowing simultaneous tunable two-wavelength oscillationin the ultraviolet has been developed. An intra-cavity dual beam system employs one diffraction and grating frequencydoubling at both wavelengths is achieved with bidirectional illumination of a single KDP crystal. The system characteristics will be discussed with respect to application in a differential absorption lidar operating around 300 nm for atmospheric SO₂ detection.     

All-solid-state 704 mW continuous-wave yellow source based on an intracavity, frequency-doubled crystalline Raman laser

Continuous-wave operation at 588 nm of a diode-pumped Nd:GdVO4 laser with intracavity Raman shifting [in KGd(WO4)2, KGW] and frequency-doubling (in LiB3O5, LBO) is reported. A maximum cw power at 588 nm of 704 mW was obtained for diode pump powers of 13.7 W. Quasi-cw yellow powers up to 1.57 W at a 50% duty cycle (to reduce thermal load in the laser crystal) indicate that power scaling to over 1 W is feasible.     

Narrowband, tunable, frequency-doubled, erbium-doped fiber-amplifed transmitter

We report on the development of a fiber-based laser transmitter designed for active remote sensing spectroscopy. The transmitter uses a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) configuration with a distributed feedback diode-laser master oscillator and an erbium-doped fiber amplifier. The output from the MOPA is frequency-doubled with a periodically poled potassium titanium oxide phosphate crystal. With 35 W of single-frequency peak optical pump power, 8 W of frequency-doubled peak power was achieved. The utility of this single-frequency, wavelength tunable, power scalable laser was then demonstrated in a spectroscopic measurement of diatomic oxygen A band.     

A broadly tunable IR waveguide Raman laser pumped by a dye laser

Design and performance characteristics of a tunable ir waveguide Raman laser pumped by a high power dye laser are described. Using SRS up to third Stokes order in compressed H₂, the wavelength range from 0.7 to 7 μm has been covered without gaps. Taking advantage of a waveguide structure in the scattering chamber, energy conversion efficiencies better than 1% with power levels in excess of 80 kW for the third Stokes component have been achieved. The experimental results support the theoretical predictions that a 4-wave parametric process is responsible for the production of the third Stokes component.     

Studies on widely tunable ultra-short laser pulses using energy transfer distributed feedback dye laser

This paper presents both theoretical and experimental study of the characteristics of Nd: YAG laser pumped energy transfer distributed feedback dye laser (ETDFDL). Using theoretical model proposed, the behavior of ETDFDL such as the characteristics of donor DFDL, the acceptor DFDL, the dependence of their pulse width and output power on donor-acceptor concentrations and pump power are studied for dye mixture Rhodamine 6G and Cresyl Violet in detail. Experimentally using prism-dye cell configuration, the ETDFDL output is obtained and the output energy of DFDL is measured at the emission peaks of donor and acceptor dyes for different pump powers and donor-acceptor concentrations. In addition, the DFDL linewidth measurement has been carried out at the lasing wavelengths of the donor and acceptor dyes using Fabry-Perot etalon and the tunability of DFDL is measured to be in the wavelength range of 545-.     

The generation of tunable near IR radiation using a nitrogen laser pumped dye laser

Excitation transfer between the two components of a dye mixture has allowed a near IR dye laser to be pumped by a nitrogen laser. Several dye mixtures were employed to achieve lasing at all wavelengths within the range 6400–7720 Å. The output pulse powers were in excess of 10 kW over most of this range.     

Broadly tunable continuous-wave diode-pumped Cr4+:YAG laser

We describe a widely tunable, continuous-wave, room temperature Cr⁴⁺:YAG laser with direct pumping by two high brightness 4 W InGaAs laser diodes. In a tunable configuration, the output wavelength covered a span of 197 nm (1356–1553 nm) and provided a maximum power of 195 mW. A maximum non-tunable output power of 260 mW was obtained with a 0.6% transmission output coupler (OC) and 6.6 W of incident pump power. Pumping at two different wavelengths, 911 and 968 nm, was investigated.     

A tunable dye laser with a composite holographic wavelengths selector

Composite holographic diffraction gratings, each recorded with a different wavelength, are utilized to achieve simultaneous multiple wavelengths operation of a tunable dye laser. By properly selecting the recording wavelengths and adjusting the efficiency of the holographic gratings, the tuning range and output powers at the various wavelengths can be controlled.     

Narrow linewidth,tunable dye laser by multiple-prism beam expander

12 mJ, 10-Hz green pulses from frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser was used for pumping Rhodamine 6G in a dye laser based on multiple-prism beam expander. In order to increase the stability of the output pulse, a unique dye cell with variable dimensions of active medium was designed and constructed. By using multiple-prism dispersion theory, conditions for zero-dispersion in two and four-prism beam expander configuration was calculated. In the case of two-prism configuration, tuning range of dye laser was 565–595 nm and the linewidth of pulse at 580 nm was about 1.8 nm and it is in good agreement with the calculated amount of 1.6 nm. Furthermore, using four-prism configuration tuning range of 570–585 nm was measured and the linewidth of output pulse at 575 nm was reduced up to 0.33 nm. This value may be further improved up to 0.22 nm according these calculations. In this arrangement, creation of parasitic modes, aberration in two dimensions and most of the alignment problems with the lens telescopes were resolved.