Laser dye stability

A figure-of-merit (FOM) consisting of the initial laser slope efficiency times the dye lifetime constant is used to compare the effect of a Pyrex light filter and the cover gas upon the output characteristics of six laser dye solutions. The FOM is found to improve using the Pyrex filter from 2-fold (coumarin 102 under air) up to 3800-fold (rhodamine 6 G under argon). In most cases, the use of argon in place of air for a coumarin dye not only improves the laser output, but also increases the lifetime constant. However, two of the coumarin dyes had an increase in lifetime under air as compared to under argon. This difference is explained in terms of the relative energy levels of the singlet and triplet states of these dyes. In order to measure long-lived dye solutions, a separate output-monitored linear flashlamp was used to degrade the solutions. The dye lifetime constants were corrected for changes in the output of this linear flashlamp. The relative output of this dye degradation flashlamp was found to depend upon the wavelength of the measurement and the position of the sensor along the length of the lamp. The variation in the output of several flashlamps is shown for lamps operating up to a total of 30 million flashes. The lifetime constants of the dye LD-490 measured by using the coaxial laser flashlamp was found to be comparable with, but lower than, the constants obtained from using the linear dye-degradation flashlamp.     

Laser dye stability

Lasing characteristics and bleaching of four Eastman Kodak ir dyes have been examined in dimethyl sulfoxide. These ir dyes are shown to improve in performance in the absence of oxygen. Their photochemical stability was found to be comparable to the quinolone laser dyes when exposed to flashlamp excitation. Photodecomposition of the ir dyes under lasing conditions was found to vary between 1.6 and 6×10⁻¹⁰ moles of dye for each joule (electrical) of input energy; in comparison, the photodecomposition values for the better coumarin dyes was 0.2 to 1.0×10⁻¹⁰ moles/J at a concentration of 1.0×10⁻⁴ M in ethanol. It was also found that increasing the concentration of these tricarbocyanine dyes gives a marked improvement in the useful lifetime of these solutions as lasing media in the absence of oxygen.     

Laser dye stability

The experimental parameters for solution temperature, solvent purity, and ultraviolet (uv) light removal have been examined as they affect the first-order bleaching constant, lasing slope efficiency, lasing threshold, and laser half-life of three dyes using air as the cover gas. A±10°C change from the ambient temperature was found to reduce the lasing output of solutions of the dyes rhodamine 6G, LD-490, and coumarin 102. Improving the purity of the solvent made no dramatic effects but did tend to yield somewhat lower bleaching rates and longer lasing lifetimes. The first-order bleaching constant for the dye LD-490 in several solvents was found to decrease in the order methanol >95% ethanol>ethanol. Although LD-490 in ethanol had twice the laser lifetime of that in methanol, the use of uv light filtration reversed this order. However, LD-490 still bleached faster in methanol than it did in ethanol. Interestingly using the uv filter, germicil quartz, did not decrease the lasing slope efficiency, but it made a slight increase in both the lasing slope efficiency and the lasing threshold. The use of the more strongly absorbing pyrex filter did, however, decrease the lasing slope efficiency as well as increase the threshold.     

Laser dye stability part 8

A 3-parameter dye laser degradation equation is introduced that has been based upon a theoretical analysis of a laser oscillator. The new equation and the 4-parameter empirical laser degradation equation used previously in this series are further developed to allow calculation of the lifetime of a dye solution for any fraction of laser output degradation. These lifetime equations are shown to be dependent upon the input energy per pulse and the threshold of lasing. The new 3-parameter equation allows the degradation constants to be determined with less change in laser output than did the original 4-parameter empirical expression.     

Laser dye stability. Part 2

The Zernike polynomials are orthogonal functions defined on the unit circle, which have been used primarily in the diffraction theory of optical aberrations. A summary of their principal properties is given. It is shown that the polynomials, which are closely related to the general spherical harmonics, are especially useful in numerical calculations. In particular, by using the polynomials as a basis to represent the commonly encountered functions of optical theory, it is often possible to avoid numerical quadrature and computations are reduced to the simple manipulation of expansion coefficients.     

Laser dye stability. Part 4

Changes in the absorption of a dye laser solution are examined after excitation with a xenon flashlamp. It is found that the rate of bleaching as a function of the total input energy of coumarin or quinolone dyes in ethanol increases in direct proportion to the dye concentration. This relationship suggests that the dye reacts with a photoproduct of the solvent rather than being directly decomposed by the xenon flash. We have measured the conversion of the dye to form products,P, absorbing at the lasing wavelength. Results correspond to the dye reacting with a precursor ofP to form either insoluble products or ones not absorbing at the lasing wavelength. Thus larger total amounts of bleached dye do not proportionately increaseP, and hence do not proportionately inhibit lasing. Furthermore, we find thatP increases with the total input energy fairly independent of the rate of bleaching for a given bicyclic dye in an alcohol solution.     

Laser dye stability. Part 5

Photodegradation parameters that relate bleaching and absorption at the lasing wavelength λ_l have been examined for over 30 different coumarin and quinolone laser dyes in a number of solvents. Quinolone dyes were found to bleach faster than the coumarin dyes. The effect of chemical substituents was found to affect bleaching of the coumarin dyes only to a small (20%) extent in ethanol. The major effect of chemical substituents was in the conversion of a dye to products absorbing at λ_l. Effects of solvent, cover gas, and changes in fluorescent quantum yields are discussed. Of particular interest is the photodegradation parameterA, the ratio of the percent absorption at λ_l to the total input energy per dm³. Combined with τ, the total input energy per dm³ required for a laser to reach half its original intensity, it was found thatAτ=1.2±0.9 for all of the dyes independent of dye concentration in all of the solvents tested. It appears that where bleaching of the dye is only of the order of 10–20%, the absorption at λ_l is 1.2% when our dye laser has reached one-half of its initial output. It is consequently possible to estimate τ values of new dyes by the use ofA terms through the relationshipA ₁τ₁=A ₂τ₂ where τ₁ of Dye 1 has been calibrated in the same dye laser system.     

Laser dye stability. Part 4

Changes in the absorption of a dye laser solution are examined after excitation with a xenon flashlamp. It is found that the rate of bleaching as a function of the total input energy of coumarin or quinolone dyes in ethanol increases in direct proportion to the dye concentration. This relationship suggests that the dye reacts with a photoproduct of the solvent rather than being directly decomposed by the xenon flash. We have measured the conversion of the dye to form products,P, absorbing at the lasing wavelength. Results correspond to the dye reacting with a precursor ofP to form either insoluble products or ones not absorbing at the lasing wavelength. Thus larger total amounts of bleached dye do not proportionately increaseP, and hence do not proportionately inhibit lasing. Furthermore, we find thatP increases with the total input energy fairly independent of the rate of bleaching for a given bicyclic dye in an alcohol solution.     

Laser kinetic spectroscopy of solvated dye molecules

Journal of Russian Laser Research -     

Laser scattering with a rapidly tuned dye laser

A facility is described for the measurement of the total spectrum produced by laser radiation scattered from a plasma during one laser pulse. The dye laser is electrooptically tuned by a high frequency voltage applied to a modified Lyot filter within its cavity. The scattered spectrum is registrated together with the laser reference signal by a transient recorder and processed afterwards. Both measuring time and inaccuracy could be reduced drastically. Scattering experiments have been accomplished in a H₂ cascade of 5 mm diameter arc at atmospheric pressure, and at 14 and 20 A, respectively. For this arc very precise spectroscopic results are available for checking the accuracy of the scattering measurements. Both the spectroscopic line and continuum experiments yield a temperature which lies between electron and ion temperature if there is no local thermal equilibrium, whereas the pure electron temperature is provided by the scattered spectrum. The agreement between spectroscopic and scattering results within the high error limits is the experimental proof for the applicability of this new scattering technique which requires only about one hundredth of the measuring time, as compared with the usual shot-to-shot registration.     

Broadband emission of dye mixtures in films and polymer matrices

Emission of mixtures of organic compounds in thin acrylic films and matrices is investigated from the blue to red range of the spectrum. The present paper is aimed at studying the feasibility of obtaining white light by conversion of output diode radiation (379 nm) using a mixture of fluorophors. It is demonstrated that the emission band shape depends on ratios of dye concentrations and geometry of excitation and registration that must be taken into account in the development of devices based on these compounds.__________This revised version was published online in May 2005 with a correction on affiliation.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 67–70, November, 2004.     

Energy transfer studies in dye mixtures in different solvent environments

The energy transfer mechanism in C 540–rhodamine 6G and C 540–rhodamine B donor–acceptor (D–A) pairs is investigated. The good spectral overlap and the proximity of D–A pair molecules, which is around 60 Å, denote the possibility of resonance energy transfer between the D–A pairs. Energy transfer is studied in two solvent environments. C 540–Rh 6G and C 540–RhB D–A pairs behave in quite different manner in different solvent environments.     

Undamped relaxation oscillations due to self-gain-switching of laser dye mixtures

Undamped relaxation oscillations were observed from a short, simple dye laser using a laser dye mixture which was pumped at 337 nm using ns pulses. The dye solution contained Rh101 as first laser dye, together with DTDCI in double function as saturable absorber and second laser dye. Two trains of intense laser pulses were generated near 619 and 685 nm, with pulse durations of ca. 4 and 2 times the resonator transit time, respectively. This method of short-pulse generation is related to double mode-locking of dye lasers. Model calculations are used to describe the pulse generation by self-gain-switching, and to estimate radiative and nonradiative contributions towards saturation of the absorber dye.     

Laser dye stability,part 12. The pyridinium salts

Improved laser output is demonstrated in KrF and XeCl lasers with x-ray preionization. The influence of gas composition, preionization geometry, x-ray dose,E/p value and temporal delay between x-ray pulse and laser discharge is discussed. In XeCl lasing has been achieved with an x-ray dose of 0.2 mR whereas approx. 3 mR are required for KrF. For both systems, the highest output energy and the lowest possibleE/p ratio were observed with Ne buffered gas mixtures. Dissociative attachment to halogen molecules on a ns time scale supported by a relatively slow laser voltage rise is recognized as the main electron loss channel preventing a long lifetime of the preionization electrons. High preionization intensity is thus desirable at the moment of voltage breakdown.     

Experimental investigations on energy-transfer characteristics and performance of some laser dye mixtures

Energy transfer from both Coumarin 120 (C120) and p-Bis(o-methylstyryl)-benzene (Bis-MSB), energy donors, to coumarin 7(C7) (acceptor) individually has been studied by steady-state emission measurements in methanol. The dye laser characteristics of the above-mentioned dyes have also been studied with respect to the energy transfer mechanism in the same solvent using a pulsed nitrogen laser as a pumping source. The large values of the critical transfer distances, R₀, indicate that the dominant mechanism responsible for energy transfer is due to long-range dipole–dipole interaction between the excited donor and ground state acceptor molecule. Both photophysical and photochemical stability of the donors has been examined under the effect of N₂ laser pumping.     

Orientational order of some liquid crystal/dye mixtures obtained from optical birefringence

ABSTRACT

This study presents optical birefringence measurements as a function of temperature for the liquid crystal/dye mixtures. The optical birefringence of the liquid crystals used in liquid crystal displays technology is related to the order parameter <P₂>, which is crucial from the development point of view. The properties of the dyes (4-dimethylamino-4′-nitrostilbene and N,N′-bis(2,5-di-tert-buthylphenyl)-3,4,9,10-perylenedicarboximide) as a guest molecule are tested over the whole region of nematic phase occurrence by three different methods: measurement with use of the plano-convex lens, Berek's compensator and photoelastic modulator.     

Laser dye stability. Part 3. Bicyclic dyes in ethanol

A commercial coaxial xenon flashlamp has been used to evaluate the stability of a variety of coumarin and quinolone laser dyes. The lasing characteristics of over 30 dyes have been quantitatively evaluated as a function of the total excitation energy to which recirculating dye solution has been exposed. Degradation constants were determined and an evaluation was made of the effects of functional group variation upon the stability of the dyes. Comparison with the data of other workers revealed that exclusion of excitation energy below 220 nm does not change the stability of 4-methyl coumarins, but can increase the stability of other coumarins as much as 50 fold.     

Laser dye stability,part 11. The fluorinated azacoumarin dyes

The lasing outputs and lifetime constants are reported for the fluorinated azacoumarin dyes, AC2F, AC3F, and AC4F, in a variety of solvents. Most of the tests were made under both air and argon. The best results were obtained using solvents such as ethanol mixed with water or ethylene glycol under air. The dyes AC2F or AC4F gave results that were comparable or superior to those of AC3F. These dyes represent the longest lived of the presently known coumarin laser dyes when used with a solvent capable of hydrogen bonding.