Surface recombination and photorefraction in LiNbO3-Fe Crystals

A spontaneous decrease of photorefraction (quasi-breakdown) has been studied in LiNbO₃−Fe (0.1 wt%) crystals. It is shown that the quasi-breakdown effect depends on the crystal environment (air, argon) and is absent in a liquid dielectric medium. Quasibreakdown can be avoided reducing the diameter of the light beam from a He−Ne laser. The critical value of birefringence change for quasi-breakdown decreases with growing temperature. The quasi-breakdown effect is also observable after illumination, in the dark. It is shown that quasi-breakdown can be explained by the recombination of light-induced space charge carriers at the surface or in the environment (air, argon) near the crystal surface. The erasure of photorefraction with quasi-breakdown is performed under under uniform illumination of the crystal with visible light.     

Femtosecond fiber laser based methane optical clock

An optical clock based on an Er³⁺ fiber femtosecond laser and a two-mode He–Ne/CH₄ optical frequency standard (λ=3.39 μm) is realized. Difference-frequency generation is used to down convert the 1.5-μm frequency comb of the Er³⁺ femtosecond laser to the 3.4-μm range. The generated infrared comb overlaps with the He–Ne/CH₄ laser wavelength and does not depend on the carrier–envelope offset frequency of the 1.5-μm comb. In this way a direct phase-coherent connection between the optical frequency of the He–Ne/CH₄ standard and the radio frequency pulse repetition rate of the fiber laser is established. The stability of the optical clock is measured against a commercial hydrogen maser. The measured relative instability is 1×10⁻¹² at 1 s and for averaging times less than 50 s it is determined by the microwave standard, while for longer times a drift of the He–Ne/CH₄ optical standard is dominant.     

Biostimulation of HeLa cells by low-intensity visible light

Summary The action of low-intensity red light with λ=633 nm (a He−Ne laser, a filament lamp with light filters a dye-laser pumped by a Cu laser) on the intensity of nucleic-acid synthesis in HeLa cells 1.5 hours after irradiation has been studied. It has been shown that the DNA synthesis is stimulated similarly after irradiation both by the He−Ne laser and by an ordinary source. The RNA synthesis intensity does not alter in both cases. A high-repetition-rate radiation at λ=633 nm acts in the opposite manner: it stimulates the RNA synthesis and the DNA synthesis remains constant. The action spectra of the DNA and RNA synthesis stimulation by continuous light in the range (570÷693) nm are presented.

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Riassunto è stata studiata l'azione della luce rossa a bassa intensità con λ=633nm (un laser a He−Ne, una lampadina a filamento con filtri per la luce, un laser a colorante pompato da un laser a Cu) sull'intensità della sintesi degli acidi nucleici in cellule HeLa un'ora e mezzo dopo irradiazione. Si è mostrato che la sintesi del DNA è stimolata in modo simile dopo irradiazione sia con laser a He−Ne che da una sorgente ordinaria. La sintesi del RNA non è alterata in entrambi i casi. Una radiazione ad alta frequenza di ripetizione a λ=633 nm agisce in maniera opposta: stimola la sintesi del RNA, mentre la sintesi del DNA resta costante. Si forniscono gli spettri d'azione della sintesi di DNA ed RNA mediante luce continua nell'intervallo da 570 a 693 nm.

     

On the 3391 superstimulation and its competition with the 633 laser oscillations

Summary Competition between the 3391 radiation emitted by a long He−Ne tube and the 633 laser oscillations was investigated experimentally. the results were analysed by means of the balance equations of populations. The absolute values of populations of the 5s′[1/2] ₁ ⁰ and 4p′[3/2]₂ levels, the excitation rates of the levels and the rates of induced transitions were computed. A new experiment on the 3391 radiation generated by the long He−Ne tube showed a negligible value of the radiation in the middle of the tube.

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Riassunto Si è studiata sperimentalmente la competizione tra la radiazione 3391 emessa da un lungo tubo a He−Ne e l'oscillazione dellaser 633. I risultati sono stati analizzati per mezzo dell'equazioni di bilanciamento delle popolazioni. Sono stati calcolati i valori assoluti delle popolazioni dei livelli 5s′[1/2] ₁ ⁰ e 4p′[3/2]₂, i valori di eccitazione dei livelli e i valori delle transizioni indotte. Un nuovo esperimento sulla radiazione 3391 generata dal lungo tubo a He−Ne ha mostrato un valore trascurabile della radiazione nel centro del tubo.

     

Light intensity and temperature dependence on performance of a photoelectrochemical cells of ITO/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/PVC-LiClO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/graphite

The photovoltaic characteristics of a photoelectrochemical cell of ITO/TiO₂/PVC-LiClO₄/graphite are reported. This paper is concerned with the influence of light intensity and temperature on short-circuit current density, J_sc and open-circuit voltage, V_oc of the device. The photoelectrochemical cell material was a screen-printed layer of titanium dioxide onto an ITO-covered glass substrate, which was used as a working electrode of the cell. The solid electrolyte was polivinylchloride-lithium perchlorate. The graphite film serves as a counter electrode of the cell. The current density–voltage characteristics of the device under an illumination of 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 mW cm⁻² light from a tungsten halogen lamp were recorded at 40 °C as well as under an illumination of 100 mW cm⁻² at 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 °C, respectively. It was found that the short-circuit current density, J_sc of the device increases with both light intensity and temperature. The J_sc obtained at 100 mW cm⁻² was 1.0 μAcm⁻² and that at 50 °C was 0.7 μAcm⁻².     

Single-frequency regime of oscillation of a high-power He—Ne laser with a transverse SHF discharge

The possibility of producing a single-frequency regime of oscillation of a He−Ne laser with a transverse shf discharge by changing the pressure of the gas mixture is investigated. A single-frequency regime of oscillation with a high radiation power (10 mW) and a low level of amplitude noise (10⁻⁵ Hz^−1/2) has been produced at a pressure above 6 mm Hg. The laser power in the single-frequency regime comprises 60–80% of the power in the regime of multifrequency oscillation. Physics Department, Tashkent State University, Campus, Tashkent, 700095, Uzbekistan. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 64, No. 1, pp. 116–118, January–February, 1997.     

Epitaxial growth of ferroelectric PLZT thin film and their optical properties

A series of experiments for growing epitaxial PLZT thin films has been made with rf sputtering. X-ray and electron diffraction analyses confirm that the fabricated films grow epitaxially on SrTiO₃ and MgO crystals. A good transparency in the region above 0.4 μm to infrared with good ferroelectric properties is obtained. Propagation loss of He−Ne laser light is less than 6 dB/cm, and the PLZT thin film is a promising candidate for the optical modulator and other functional elements for integrated optics.     

Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis> irradiation of blood by low-intensity emission from a He–Ne laser on molecular components of blood

We have used the IR absorption spectra of blood, plasma, and packed erythrocytes to study the effect of in vivo exposure of blood to low-intensity emission from a He–Ne laser (λ = 632.8 nm, 4 mW/cm²) on the molecular components of blood. In comparing the IR spectra of samples of blood sample and blood components before and after irradiation, we identified changes in the amide A, amide I, amide II, amide III absorption regions and also in the absorption bands of methyl, methylene, and phosphate groups. We conclude that exposure of blood in vivo to emission from a He–Ne laser leads to a decrease in the contribution of the α-helix conformation in the secondary structure of the blood proteins.     

The opposite beams in He−Ne ring laser at 632.8 nm

Summary In the paper the resonant interaction of the opposite beams in a He−Ne ring laser at 632.8 nm is discussed on the basis of experimental results. These results show that the stable laser generation is attained when no simultaneous interaction of the opposite beams exists in the laser system. In the experiment, the mode-locking generation was obtained by applying a combining mirror, reflecting some part of the output beam into the laser cavity.

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Riassunto Nel lavoro si discute sulla base dei risultati sperimentali l’interazione risonante degli sciami opposti in un laser ad anello He−Ne a 632.8 nm. Questi risultati mostrano che la generazione laser stabile è raggiunta quando nessuna interazione simultanea di raggi opposti esiste nel sistema laser. Nell’esperimento, la generazione di modi vincolati in fase è stata ottenuta applicando uno specchio combinante, che riflette qualche parte del raggio di output nella cavità laser.

     

Method for measuring elastooptical constants of solids

The spherical aberration observed in the far-field diffraction pattern of a He−Ne laser beam traversing a silica plate locally heated by a CO₂-laser is investigated. This leads to a thermooptical method suitable to evaluate the effective derivative of the refractive index and elastooptical method suitable to evaluate the effective derivative of the refractive index and elastooptical coefficient.     

Optical phase conjugation and double-exposure phase-conjugate interferometry in dye-doped thin film using He–Ne laser

We have experimentally demonstrated optical phase conjugation and double-exposure phase-conjugate interferometry in a methyl green dye-doped gelatin film via degenerate four-wave mixing using a low-power He–Ne laser for the first time. The origin of phase conjugation associated with this dye-doped film is discussed. A phase-conjugate reflectivity of 0.13% is obtained with a He–Ne laser of total power 35 mW. PACS 42.65.Hw; 42.65.-k; 42.40.-i     

An application of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 Ceramic to opto-electronic devices

A lead-zirconate-titanate ceramic is used in an electrically controllable diffraction (ECD) grating for reflection of parallel polarized light. The ECD grating used consists of a PZT ceramic with ten pairs of interdigital electrodes having 400 μm period on its surface. The characteristics of the grating and its application to an optical modulator are demonstrated experimentllly with a He−Ne 0.63 μm laser, obtaining a modulation of 60% with the applied peak voltage of 60 V at 24 kHz signal for the incident angle of 60°.     

共掺Na+的Yb3+∶CaF2晶体的荧光分析与低阈值激光运转

基于975nm激发的室温下荧光光谱测量，系统地研究了在新型钠、镱共掺的氟化钙晶体中钠离子的作用机理，分析了掺钠离子浓度与激光阈值的关系，获得了具有最低激光阈值的掺杂浓度优化配比. 激光实验表明对于2%Yb³⁺离子浓度的氟化钙，掺入3%的钠离子能够获得最低阈值的激光运转，这与理论和荧光分析完全一致. 关键词： 镱、钠共掺氟化钙 荧光光谱 激光阈值     

Development of an optical time scale

A time standard based on the use of an optical oscillation period of a frequencystable He–Ne laser as a time scale is first described. We obtained highly frequency-stable oscillations in the SHF range that were locked to the oscillations of a He–Ne laser stabilized to an absorption resonance in methane at 3.39 m. A direct comparison of frequency stabilities of a rubidium standard and He–Ne/CH₄ laser has been made. The absolute measurement of the frequency of the He–Ne/CH₄ laser we performed gave a new value of frequency.This work was reported at the 3rd Frequency Standards and Metrology Symposium     

Narrow resonances in radiation spectrum of the He-Ne laser with methane absorber

A new phenomenon, a resonance in the radiation spectrum of a gas laser with a nonlinear absorber, is reported for the first time. Frequency stabilization of the He−Ne laser with a methane cell was made by use of the new type of resonance.     

A two-frequency He−Ne laser at the 3S 2→3P 4 transition in mutually orthogonal transverse magnetic fields

By taking as an example a He−Ne laser that operates at the 3S₂−3P₄ transition (λ=3.39 μm), we studied the specific features of nonlinear interaction of the waves of linear orthogonal polarizations in a transverse magnetic field. Using mutually orthogonal transverse magnetic fields on the neighboring portions of an active medium, we implemented a regime of two-frequency generation, which was investigated theoretically and experimentally. To whom correspondence should be addressed. B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 68, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 4, pp. 568–573, July–August, 1999.     

Characterization of probe lasers for thin-film optical measurements

The peak-power-density stability and beam-wander precision of a probe laser are important factors affecting the inspection results in precise thin-film optical measurements. These factors are also key to evaluating a probe laser for in-line long-time operation of precise thin-film optical measurements. The peak-power density and beam wander of liner helium–neon (He–Ne) lasers, random He–Ne lasers, and diode lasers as functions of time are investigated experimentally using a beam profiler. It is found that the linear polarized He–Ne laser is considered to be a promising candidate for a probe laser employed in precise thin-film optical measurements due to better peak-power-density stability and beam-wander precision. Both the peak-power-density stability and beam-wander precision of He–Ne lasers are usually better than that of diode lasers, but an adequate warm-up of He–Ne laser for 30 min is required before thin-film optical measurements are made. After 12 h operation, the linear polarized He–Ne laser is suitable for precise thin-film optical measurements because both the peak-power-density stability and the beam-wander precision reach the minimum level. A cost-effective system composed of two linear polarized He–Ne lasers for long-term operation is proposed. This system can operate for around 0.5–1.2 years in precise thin-film optical measurements under the normal operating life of a He–Ne laser by switching the probe laser every 18 h.     

3391 and 7699 laser generations and questions on the chaos

Summary In this report investigations are presented of laser generations at 3391 nm and 3391 and 7699 nm, or rather of changes induced by them in populations of the 5s′ [1/2] ₁ ⁰ , 4p′[3/2]₂ and 3d′[5/2] ₃ ⁰ levels, depending upon the angle of the tilted mirror of the He−Ne laser system. This writer has discovered that the above laser generations develop at a strongly tilted mirror, when the beam reflected from one mirror, in order to reach the other, has to be reflected many times on the inside walls of the discharge tube. The work was supported by CPBR 8.14.     

Highly uniform UV preionized CO2 laser

Highly uniform laser pulses have been obtained in CO₂−N₂−He mixtures, between 1 and 5 atm with the help of true volume pre-ionization by single step photoionization of new additives having a low ionization potential.     

Spectroscopic and laser properties of Nd:Gd0.8La0.2VO4 crystal

The polarised absorption and fluorescence spectra of Nd:Gd_0.8La_0.2VO₄ crystal are measured and compared to those of Nd:GdVO₄. CW laser properties of diode-pumped Nd:Gd_0.8La_0.2VO₄ crystal operating at fundamental wavelengths of 1.06 and 1.34 μm, as well as when intracavity frequency-doubled to 532 and 670 nm, have been studied. The maximum output powers at 1.06 μm, 1.34 μm, 532 nm and 670 nm are 1.18 W, 671 mW, 206 mW and 42 mW respectively, at a diode-launched pump power of 2.9 W. The threshold pump powers are 80, 267, 7 and 15 mW respectively.