Pulsed optoacoustic detection of multiple photon excitation in molecules

Multiple photon excitation, saturation, and linear absorption of SF₆-argon mixtures when irradiated by a high power CO₂ TEA laser is investigated using a pulsed optoacoustic technique. At low intensities the expected linear dependence of the absorption on laser intensity is observed. At intermediate intensities the absorption exhibits a square root dependence on the incident laser intensity, a dependence which is typical for saturation of an inhomogeneously broadened absorption. At even higher intensities, the absorption shows an intensity dependence typical of multiple photon excitation. The laser intensity was varied between 0.016 kW/cm² and 5 MW/cm², values lower than that needed to produce multiple photon dissociation of SF₆. Increasing the collision frequency of the absorbing molecules with an inert buffer gas is observed to quench the multiple photon excitation.     

Femto-, Picosecond,and Terahertz Optoacoustics

The possibilities offered by the optoacoustic monitoring of the sea shelf are considered, based on the development of reliable laser sources of femto- and picosecond pulse duration and new ways of detecting and processing high-frequency signals. The basis of these new possibilities is a volume source of sound produced as a result of the breakdown of the medium under the action of ultrashort laser pulses. An overview of new worldwide achievements is presented. The results from a number of model experiments on the optoacoustic monitoring of low concentrations of gas impurities, and on the precise monitoring of the sea shelf, are interpreted.     

Frequency Stabilization of Waveguide CO2 Laser by a Digital Technique

In this work we present a simple technique for laser frequency stabilization, based on Digital signal processing. The technique is used to stabilize a waveguide CO₂ laser of wide tunability by using three kinds of reference signals: the CO₂ laser ouptut power, an infrared absorption optoacoustic signal and the output power of a Far-Infrared optically pumped molecular laser.     

液体光击穿阈值的研究

运用声学基础理论,讨论了激光入射到液体中,激光能量与声信号强度间的变化关系.发现激光能量与声信号强度之间存在着对数线形关系.根据液体中光声信号的连续性,得到了一种求取液体光击穿阈值的新方法.     

All-optical control of gigahertz acoustic resonances by forward stimulated interpolarization scattering in a photonic crystal fiber

We report the observation of a novel nonlinear optoacoustic phenomenon, that we name forward stimulated interpolarization scattering. When two frequency-offset laser signals are colaunched into orthogonally polarized guided modes of a birefringent small-core (1.8 μm diameter) photonic crystal fiber, a pattern of axially moving polarization fringes is produced, with a velocity and spacing that depends on the frequency offset. At values of frequency offset in the few-GHz range, the pattern of moving fringes can perfectly match the phase velocity and axial wavelength (3.9 mm) of the torsional-radial acoustic mode tightly guided in the core. An intense optoacoustic interaction ensues, leading to efficient nonlinear exchange of power from the higher frequency (pump) mode to the orthogonally polarized lower frequency (Stokes) mode. A full-vectorial theory is developed to explain the observations.     

Control of tissue mechanics upon the repetitive-pulse laser heating of cartilage

The viscoelastic properties of laser-irradiated cartilages are studied with optoacoustic methods upon the thermal excitation of mechanical oscillations by repetitive-pulse laser radiation. The effect of laser power, pulse duration, repetition rate, and irradiation time on the shape of the optoacoustic signal is analyzed. It is demonstrated that the optoacoustic response of the cartilage to the repetitive-pulse radiation of a fiber laser depends on the softening of the tissue upon the variation in its shape. Under repetitive-pulse laser irradiation, the optoacoustic response of the cartilage depends on the mechanical characteristics of the biotissue (elastic modulus, hydraulic permeability, and thickness). A simple model that makes it possible to estimate the contribution of the viscoelastic properties to the formation of the optoacoustic response at various laser repetition rates is proposed.     

Doppler-free optoacoustic spectroscopy

The first observation of Doppler-free optoacoustic spectroscopy is reported. As a first example the P (193) line of the 11-0 band of the B←X transition of ¹²⁷I₂ is used. The output of cw single mode dye laser is split into two equal intensity beams chopped at frequencies ω₁ and ω₂. The nonlinear compoment of the optoacoustic signal at the frequency (ω₁ + ω₂) is detected and Doppler-free resolution is obtained. Comparing the Doppler-free optoacoustic and fluorescence spectra of iodine measured under similar conditions, good agreement is found. Since optoacoustic and fluorescence methods complement each other, this opens up new possibilities for weakly or nonfluorescing molecules.     

Nonlinear optoacoustic transformation in the system of dielectric substrate/submicron metal coating/liquid

The optoacoustic method has been shown to be an accurate technique for the measurement of the properties of submicron metal coatings deposited on a dielectric substrate, i.e., mirrors. The method has been previously theoretically described in terms of a linear model of optoacoustic transformation in a system substrate/coating/liquid. The goal of the present work was to determine the limits at which the linear model is still applicable. The modification of the laser induced acoustic signal profiles and transfer functions of optoacoustic transformation versus the laser fluence was studied for two liquids: ethanol and water.     

Real-time optodynamic monitoring of pulsed laser decoating rate

This paper deals with a laser-cleaning process for removing a layer of paint. The effects of each individual laser pulse were monitored by a three-probe system. Ultrasonic signals from the rear surface of the substrate were obtained using an arm compensated Michelson interferometer, the optoacoustic waves in the surrounding air were detected using a laser beam deflection probe and the shape of the growing crater was measured using a laser anamorph profilometer. Two different cleaning lasers were used: an Excimer and a Nd:YAG laser. Typical parameters of the optodynamic signals versus the laser-pulse number are presented. A linear correlation between the quantity of ablated material and the integral of the ultrasonic signals was found together with an exponential relationship between the time-of-flight of the optoacoustic signals and the decoating rate.     

Reconstruction of Optical Energy Deposition for Backward Optoacoustic Imaging

Visualizing optical properties, such as the optical absorption coefficient, helps us to obtain structural information of biological tissues. In this paper, we present an efficient reconstruction algorithm for optical energy deposition in backward optoacoustic imaging. Note that econstruction of optical energy deposition is the first step to imaging the optical absorption coefficient distribution. This algorithm is derived from the optoacoustic wave equations with line focusing, in which the focusing techniques were utilized to reduce the reconstruction problem from three dimensions (3-D) to one dimension (1-D). Simulations and experiments were conducted to verify efficacy of this algorithm. In the simulations, optoacoustic signals were generated based on the solution of the optoacoustic wave equations. In the experiments, a 3-D backward mode optoacoustic imaging system was built. The system consisted of a Nd YAG laser for optical irradiation and an acoustic detection system with a broadband hydrophone. A phantom was used to illustrate validity of the proposed algorithm. The results show that optical energy deposition can be efficiently reconstructed in both simulations and experiments.     

Spectroscopy of the excited C-O stretching Q branch of 13CD3OH: Measurement and assignment of new FIR laser lines

The Q branch of the C-O stretching fundamental band of ¹³CD₃OH has been investigated. Starting from a high resolution (4 × 10⁻³cm⁻¹) infrared Fourier transform spectrum and using a waveguide CO₂ laser of 300 MHz tunability and an acoustooptic modulator for an extension of ±90 MHz, 31 new FIR laser lines have been observed. The related absorptions have been measured by means of optoacoustic detection. The frequency of one new FIR laser line was also measured. Eight tentative assignments are proposed for the IR absorption and FIR laser emissions.     

Use of a beam expanding telescope in a grating-tuned waveguide CO2 laser

A Galilean telescope is used as a beam expander in a grating tuned CO₂ waveguide laser to improve line selection while minimizing cavity length to maximise the frequency tuning range. The laser has been used in optoacoustic measurements of saturation of absorption on the transition pumping the 891 m CH₂CF₂ laser.     

Detection of nanosecond optoacoustic pulses in steel

The optoacoustic transformation of 5-ns laser pulses was used to excite broadband longitudinal acoustic pulses in a 0.4-mm-thick steel plate. An electromagnetic acoustic transducer that incorporated a flat wire coil with a diameter of 5 mm and an amplifier was proposed as a device for contactless ultrasound detection. A permanent cylindrical magnet and a coil close to the printed-circuit board of an operational amplifier were placed on one side of the sample, thus allowing the detection of the alternating electromagnetic field produced by pressure pulses excited on the opposite side. The frequency spectrum of detected pulses ranged from 5 to 200 MHz.     

Method for Measuring Multiphoton Absorption Cross Sections of Laser Pulses in Gases by Means of a Spectrophone

Optics and Spectroscopy - A method for measuring multiphoton absorption cross sections of Gaussian laser pulses in gases by means of an optoacoustic detector exhibiting temporal resolution...     

Optoacoustic investigation of the mechanisms in the infrared optogalvanic effect

Simultaneous observations of the optogalvanic and optoacoustic effects were performed in CO₂, NH₃ and SF₆ discharges under irradiation by resonant infrared 10 μm laser radiation. The dependence of the galvanic and acoustic signals on the discharge current, and their time evolution following a switch of the laser radiation were investigated. The observations proved that the infrared optogalvanic effect occurs through two different mechanisms, a gas kinetic temperature dependence of the discharge parameters and a modification of the pion production through the vibrational molecular excitation.     

Thickness measurement for submicron metallic coatings on a transparent substrate by laser optoacoustic technique

A new nondestructive technique for determining the thicknesses of submicron metallic coatings on transparent substrates is developed. The technique is based on measuring the frequency dependence of the efficiency of thermooptical conversion on the thickness of a metallic film in the case of its contact with a transparent fluid. Experiments were conducted with three chromium coatings of different thicknesses (0.2, 0.3, and 0.6 μm) on quartz substrates. Two different experimental schemes were used: a direct scheme (laser radiation hits the film from the side of the substrate) and an indirect one (the laser action upon the film occurs from the side of the fluid). The film thickness is determined by approximating the experimental frequency dependences of thermooptical conversion efficiency by theoretical curves with the use of the least-squares method. The optoacoustic method can be used for determination of coating thicknesses in the range from 50 nm to 5 μm with an error of about 50 nm.     

Optoacoustic laser spectroscopy of excited vibrational molecular states

A new detection method for absorption from excited vibrational states is suggested, based on optoacoustic detection of weak absorption in a heated gas. Using this method CO₂ laser radiation (λ=9.6 μm) absorption was investigated from excited vibrational states of CO₂, BCl₃, and BF₃ molecules.     

Optoacoustic imaging with synthetic aperture focusing and coherence weighting

Optoacoustic imaging takes advantage of high optical contrast and low acoustic scattering and has found several biomedical applications. In the common backward mode a laser beam illuminates the image object, and an acoustic transducer located on the same side as the laser beam detects the optoacoustic signal produced by thermoelastic effects. A cross-sectional image is formed by laterally scanning the laser beam and the transducer. Although the laser beam width is generally narrow to provide good lateral resolution, strong optical scattering in tissue broadens the optical illumination pattern and thus degrades the lateral resolution. To solve this problem, a combination of the synthetic aperture focusing technique with coherence weighting is proposed. This method synthesizes a large aperture by summing properly delayed signals received at different positions. The focusing quality is further improved by using the signal coherence as an image quality index. A phantom comprising hair threads in a 1% milk solution was imaged with an optoacoustic imaging system. The results show that the proposed technique improved lateral resolution by 400-800% and the signal-to-noise ratio by 7-23 dB over conventional techniques.     

Sub-Doppler optoacoustic spectroscopy

We report the observation of saturation Lamb-dips in the optoacoustic spectrum of CH₃OH and CO₂ excited by CO₂ laser. An intermodulation technique is used to get Doppler-free resolution of the lines. Because of the small sample size and the high sensitivity intermodulated optoacoustic spectroscopy compares favorably with other Doppler-free methods.     

Optoacoustic detection of nonlinear absorption in glasses

We report what we believe to be the first measurement of two photon absorption in a solid using the optoacoustic effect. A number of different glasses were studied. The dispersion of the optoacoustic signal of holmium oxide doped glass is compared with the corresponding absorption spectrum at twice the frequency of the incident light.