Laser stark spectroscopy of13CH3F

The far-infrared laser Stark spectrum of¹³CH₃F has been observed using the 190 m line of the DCN laser. The spectrum was taken at room temperature for both parallel and perpendicular polarizations up to 60,000V/cm. We identify the transition as J_k=32₁₄31₁₄ in the ground vibrational state. The measured zero-field frequency for this transition is in agreement with that calculated from the available molecular constants.     

13CH3OH and13CD3OH optically pumped fir laser: New large offset emission and optoacoustic spectroscopy

27 new, large offset, FIR laser lines from¹³CH₃OH and one from¹³CD₃OH have been discovered by pumping with a high tunability waveguide CW CO₂ laser. Optoacoustic measurements of isotopic methyl alcohol have also been performed and the pump offsets of the new and of previously known lines have been measured and checked. Frequency tunability by Stark effect has been observed for 6 strong lines. Some assignments are discussed.     

Acoustooptic extension of the frequency tunability of CW CO2 lasers: New FIR lasers emissions from CH3OH and13CH3OH

We have increased the frequency tunability of our CW waveguide CO₂ lasers by means of an acoustooptic amplitude modulator, operating at the fixed frequency of 90 MHz. The up-shifted, or down-shifted, laser optical sideband can be generated independently by adjusting the orientation of the modulator. The efficiency is larger than 50%. The frequency tunability of the CO₂ laser around each laser line is thus increased by 180 MHz. To demonstrate the possibilities of this method, a source composed of the above modulator and of a CW, 300 MHz tunable waveguide CO₂ laser has been used for the search of new large offset FIR laser lines from optically pumped CH₃OH and¹³CH₃OH molecules. As a result 15 and 10 new large offset laser lines were discovered respectively. New assignments of some laser lines are also proposed. We have also measured the Stark effect, the offset, and the polarization of other already known lines. In particular a Stark effect frequency tuning of about 1 GHz is demonstrated for a laser line at 208.399 m.     

FIR Stark spectroscopy on optically pumped CH3OH laser

An extensive theoretical and experimental analysis of the absorption and emission spectrum of a CH₃OH FIR-laser excited by a conventional CO₂ laser is presented. Particular interest is devoted to the Stark shifts of the pump and lasing lines and to the electric field dependence of the Fir-laser output of the various lines. The offsets with respect to the exciting radiation and the Stark shifts of the IR absorption (pump) lines are measured by means of the transferred Lamb dip technique. The theoretical behaviours of the Stark patterns are calculated for several choices of the quantum numbers and selection rules involved in the transitions. A large variety of experimental results are reported and compared to theory. Non-linear Stark shifts have been observed for the 37.5m FIR laser line and for the IR-pump transitions excited by the 9-P(38) and 10-R(38) CO₂ laser Lines. Line assignments are proposed and new FIR laser lines are reported.     

Far-Infrared Laser Stark Spectroscopy of CH3OD

The high resolution Stark spectra of the singly deuterated methanol isotope, CH₃OD, have been studied using the HCN laser with Stark fields up to approximately 60 000 V/cm. Numerous families of absorption lines have been observed in both parallel and perpendicular polarizations, resulting in the following assignments: with the 311 m line – J _K = 18₁ 18₀ E ₂, _t = 1; and with the 337 m line – J _k = 6₄ 5₃ E ₂, _t = 0 and J _K = 14₆ 13₅ A, _t = 1. Zero-field frequencies for the assigned transitions are in agreement with Fourier transform measurements and those calculated from the available molecular constants.     

On submillimeter laser lines from optically pumped12CH3OH

Several new submillimeter laser lines have been observed in a CH₃OH submillimeter laser, optically pumped by CO₂—laser radiation in a low power pulsed mode.Assignments have been suggested for a number of the lines. A few lines have wavelengths close to atmospheric water vapor absorption peaks, and can be observed only when the air path from the submillimeter resonator exit mirror to the detector is kept short or flushed with dry nitrogen.     

Operating parameter optimization of optically pumped CH3OH far-infrared laser

By solving the density matrix equations of a quantum system, the output power intensity of an optically pumped CH₃OH FIR laser (CH₃OH-OPFIRL) was calculated by means of iteration method, and the spectral characteristics were got. Base on the calculation, optimization of operating parameters including operating gas pressure, pumped power and output coupling coefficient of the CH₃OH cavity laser were systematically studied. Experimental, a series of FIR emissions of the CH₃OH cavity laser pumped by TEA-CO₂ laser with 9P(16) line were measured. The experimental results were in good agreement with theoretical calculations. The project was supported by the Special Research Foundation of Doctorate Station in University of P.R.C.     

Wavelengths for new CH3OH laser lines

Using a grating-tuned CO₂-TEA laser to pump CH₃OH in a metallic-wave-guide resonator, submillimeter laser emissions have been produced by pumping with 36 lines in the 9.4m CO₂ band and with 23 lines in the 10.6m band. Several dozen new SMM laser lines were observed. Wavelengths accurate to within 0.1% are given for 12 previously unmeasured lines between 34m and 225m.     

Infrared and far-infrared spectroscopy of CH3OH: TeraHertz laser lines and assignments

We use a ¹³CO₂ laser as optical pumping source to search for new THz laser lines generated from ¹³CH₃OH. Nineteen new THz laser lines (also identified as far-infrared, FIR) ranging from 42.3 μm (7.1 THz) to 717.7 μm (0.42 THz) are reported. They are characterized in wavelength, offset, relative polarization, relative intensity, and optimum working pressure. We have assigned eight laser lines to specific rotational energy levels in the excited state associated with the C-O stretching mode.     

Frequency measurements of far infrared12CH3OH laser lines

We have measured the frequencies of 12 known and 3 new submillimeter laser lines obtained by pumping¹²CH₃OH with a cw waveguide CO₂ laser in a Fabry-Perot far infrared resonator. We have also measured the relative polarization and the pumping CO₂ frequency offset for each line.Supported in part by a joint grant with the U.S. National Science Foundation # INT80-19014 and the Brazilian Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas (CNPq).Work of the U.S. Government; not subject to U.S. copyright.     

A twin optically-pumped far-infrared CH3OH laser for plasma diagnostics

A twin optically-pumped far-infrared CH₃OH laser has been constructed for use in plasma diagnostics. The antisymmetric doublet due to the Raman-type resonant two-photon transition is reproducibly observed at 118.8 m. With the 118.8-m line, it is obtained from the frequency separation of the anti-symmetric doublet that CH₃OH absorption line center is 16±1 MHz higher than the pump 9.7-m P(36) CO₂ laser line center. It is shown that the Raman-type resonant two-photon transition is useful in order to get several-MHz phase modulation for the far-infrared laser interferometer. Some preliminary performances of this twin laser for the modulated interferometer are described.This work was carried out under the collaborating research program at the Institute of Plasma Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464, Japan.     

12CH2F2 and13CH2F2far-infrared lasers: New lines and frequency measurements

We report here the discovery of 13 new far-infrared laser lines from¹²CH₂F₂ and seven new lines from¹³CH₂F₂. Most of the new lines were pumped by high-J lines of the 9R branch of a cw-CO₂ laser. Wavelengths range from 97.6 to 616.18 μm. Frequency, pump offset, relative polarization, and relative intensity were measured for most of the new lines.     

IR and FIR Spectroscopy of 13CH3I

We have investigated the ¹³CH₃I isotopomer of methyl iodide as a source of Far Infrared (FIR) laser radiation using the optical pumping technique. The molecule is pumped by using a pulsed waveguided CO₂ laser, driven by a novel all solid state power supply that lases on the 10HP band as well as the regular bands. We discovered and assigned two new FIR laser emissions and we give further spectroscopic information about polarization and pump frequency offset for five already known lines.     

Far infrared laser lines and assignments of CH3OH: a review

Methyl alcohol is the most important lasing molecule in the Far-Infrared (FIR) spectral region, and the most widely used for investigation and for applications. Since the last critical review of 1984, over seventy papers have been published dealing with the FIR laser lines and the infrared spectroscopy of CH₃OH. In 1984 we could list about 330 FIR laser lines, 98 of which were measured in frequency and 105 assigned. Since then more than 70 papers were published increasing the number of the known laser lines to 575 (103 measured in frequency). Also the FIR and IR spectroscopy was largely improved thanks to the analysis of high resolution FT spectra, and the number of the correctly assigned laser lines has been increased to 224. The wavenumbers of the assigned lines can now be predicted with an accuracy of about 0.001 cm^–1 or better, thus approaching the accuracy of the experimental frequency measurements.     

Far-infrared spectrum of excited torsional states of C-13 methanol

The torsion-rotation structure of the far-infrared (FIR) spectrum of the C-13 isotopic species of methyl alcohol has been investigated by high-resolution Fourier transform spectroscopy in the 25–350 cm^–1 region, with emphasis on subbands involving excited torsional states. In this study, 89 such subbands have been identified, with torsional states fromn=1 ton=3 included. As well, a further 4 assignments have been added to our previous work on then=0 ground torsional state. The subband origins together with known microwave results have been fitted by least-squares to our torsion-rotation Hamiltonian, and improved molecular structural and torsional constants for the vibrational ground state are reported. Tables of state-specific constants representing the three leading terms in aJ(J+1) power-series expansion of the torsion-rotation energy levels are given for torsional statesn=0 to 3 and rotationalK values from 0 to 16.     

Frequency measurements of 3 to 11 THz laser lines of CH3OH

We measured the frequencies of 12 far-infrared laser lines generated in a high- frequency Fabry-Perot laser cavity containing methanol, pumped by a CO₂ laser. The frequencies are in the range 2.8 to 11.4 THz (105.4 to 26.2 µm). Ten of the measured frequencies are higher than 7 THz, and help to fill the laser frequency gaps in this region. Five of the measured lines are new. The 11.4 THz line has the highest frequency of an optically pumped laser ever measured with the CO₂ laser heterodyne technique.This work has been financed by the Brazilian Government - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), and by the United States Government - NASA Grant W-18, 623.Contribution of NIST, not subject to U.S. Copyright.     

Torsion-rotation global analysis and database for the CH3OH isotopomer of methanol

Fourier-transform far-infrared spectra of CH₃¹⁸OH in the 15-470 cm⁻¹ region have been analyzed by means of the Ritz assignment program. The far-infrared data have been combined with the literature microwave and millimeter-wave measurements in a full global fitting of the first three torsional states (ν_t = 0, 1, and 2) of the CH₃¹⁸OH ground vibrational state. The fitted dataset includes 550 microwave and millimeter-wave lines and more than 17 000 Fourier-transform transitions covering the quantum number ranges J ? 30, K ? 15, and ν_t ? 2. With incorporation of 79 adjustable parameters, the global fit achieved convergence with an overall weighted standard deviation of 1.072, essentially to within the assigned measurement uncertainties of ±50 kHz for almost all of the microwave and millimeter-wave lines and ±6 MHz (0.0002 cm⁻¹) to ±15 MHz (0.0005 cm⁻¹) for the Fourier-transform far-infrared measurements. Based on the global fit results, a database has been compiled containing transition frequencies, quantum numbers, lower state energies and transition strengths. This database will provide support for present and future astronomical studies, such as the on-going Orion surveys in preparation for the launch of the Herschel Space Observatory, in identifying isotopic methanol contributions to interstellar spectra.     

The Spectrum of Ground-State Reversed Transition of CH3OH Far-Infrared Laser

Using the CH₃OH molecular energy levels data base management program, we deduced that when a CH₃OH laser pumped by CO₂-9P(16) line, there should be a FIR laser line of 918m wavelength, which corresponding to a transition in ground-state reversed three-level energy system. For the first time, the spectra of ground-state reversed three-level system transitions were calculated by solving the density matrix equations, and the spectrum characteristics of 918m line were studied. Experimentally, the CH₃OH FIR laser line of 918m wavelength was obtained by pumping with a TEA-CO₂ laser. The experimental results were in good agreement with the theoretical calculations.     

Laser stark spectroscopy ofSO2 with the HCN laser

The Far Infrared (FIR) laser Stark spectrum ofSO ₂ was investigated using the 337 m line of the HCN laser. Two distinct families, one originating at low field and the other at high field, were observed. The high field transition is identified as theJ _K–1,K+1=22_5,1721_4,18, v₂=1 transition. A significant fourth-order Stark shift was observed for this transition in the presence of a large second-order Stark shift. The zero-field frequency of the assigned transition was obtained by accounting for the fourth-order contribution.Present Adress: Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627.     

Optoacoustic Laser Stark spectroscopy and FIR laser action on CH3Br using a waveguide CO2 laser

The optoacoustic spectrum of CH₃Br around 10 m band lines of a tunable cw waveguide CO₂ laser is investigated. Several new infrared absorptions are observed and most of the correspond ing molecular transitions are assigned. Far infra red laser action is reported by pumping with the same CO₂ laser: pump offsets are given using the Transferred Lambs dip (TLD) technique. A new FIR laser emission is obtained and assigned. An optoacoustic Laser Stark spectroscopy technique is used to investigate off resonance infrared tran sitions.