New submillimetre laser lines from CH3OD and CD3OD

Thirteen new submillimetre emission lines have been observed when pumping CH₃OD using isotopic CO₂ lasers, and fourteen when pumping CD₃OD. Three isotopic CO₂ lasers were used¹²C¹⁶O₂,¹²C¹⁸O₂, and¹³C¹⁶O₂. The new lines were observed in a Fabry-Perot resonator. The wavelength ranges observed were from 55 to 320 m for CH₃OD and from 66 to 531 m for CD₃OD. The polarisation of the submillimetre laser lines relative to the CO₂ pump line has also been determined.     

New far-infrared laser lines from CH3Cl and CH3Br optically pumped with a continuously tunable high pressure CO2 laser

In this paper we report on the detection of new far-infrared laser lines from CH₃Cl and CH₃Br optically pumped with a continuously tunable high pressure CO₂ laser. We found 80 new lines for CH₃Cl and 9 new lines for CH₃Br in the frequency region between 16 cm^–1 and 41 cm^–1, all due to stimulated Raman scattering. For the Raman gain regions bandwidths up to about 700 MHz were found. We also observed high intensity short far-infrared laser pulses of durations in the nanosecond regime.Permanent address: Physics Department, State Pedagogical University, SU-119435 Moscow, USSR     

New FIR laser lines from CD3OD optically pumped by a CO2 waveguide laser

In this work we report new FIR laser lines from CD₃OD optically pumped by a CO₂ waveguide laser. The wide tunability of this laser (290 MHz) makes it possible to pump absorption lines with large frequency offset relative to the CO₂ laser line center, which are not possible by using conventional CO₂ lasers. As a consequence 19 new laser lines have been discovered, ranging from 38.0 m to 455.2 m in wavelength. For all lines, precise frequency offset measurements between the CO₂ line center and the center of the absorber CD₃OD line were performed using the transferred Lamb-dip technique. We also present direct Doppler-free offset measurements of infrared absorption, obtained within the FIR laser cavity itself, using optoacoustic detection.Work supported by FAPESP, CNPq, FAP-Brasil and CNR-Italy     

Tunable simultaneous double-wavelength operation of a cw CO2 laser

Stable step-tunable simultaneous double-wavelength emission from any branch combination of the 9.6 and 10.6 μm bands of a cw CO₂ laser is reported in which the relative strengths of the two signals may be controlled.     

New FIR laser lines from CHD2OH optically pumped by a cw CO2 laser

This work reports 83 new optically pumped far infrared laser lines, using deuterated methyl alcohol, CHD₂OH, as active medium. For each line we list the measured wavelength, its polarization relative to the pump line, the optimum gas pressure and the CO₂ laser pump power at the maximum absorption.     

Relaxation oscillations in cw optically pumped CD3OD and15NH3 lasers

We report the results of heterodyne measurements of the mode quality and tuning range of a cw CO₂ laser designed for optically pumping a far-infrared (FIR) molecular laser, and describe the implications of multi-mode operation. In particular we report the observation of relaxation oscillations in the output of a FIR waveguide laser.     

Development of a new CW single-line CO laser on thev′=1→v″=0 band

CW single-line laser oscillation on theP(7) toP(15) transitions in the fundamental band of CO is reported. Laser operation was obtained with a liquid-nitrogen-cooled dc electrical discharge flow system using a mixture of He, N₂, air, and CO. The parameters important for the CO fundamental band laser oscillation are discussed.     

New cw optically pumped FIR emissions in HCOOH,D2CO and CD3Br

New FIR emissions lines have been observed for HCOOH, D₂CO and CD₃Br. Assignments have been made of the HCOOH lines and for most of those of CD₃Br. For D₂CO, most of the new emissions showed a corresponding cascade transition.     

New cw fir laser emissions from CO2 laser-pumped vinyl bromide

47 new cw far-infrared laser lines with wavelenths between 453 and 2356 m have been obtained by optically pumping vinyl bromide (C₂H₃Br) by a CO₂ laser. A significant portion of these lines has wavelengths longer than 750 m.     

Observation and assignment of submillimetre laser lines from CH3OH pumped by isotopic CO2 lasers

New laser lines have been generated using methanol when isotopically labelled CO₂ is used in the pump laser. 19 lines have been found when¹³C¹⁶O₂ is used and 29 when¹²C¹⁸O₂ is used. The wavelengths of the emission lines have been measured with a relative accuracy of 5×10^–3 using the submillimetre resonator as a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer, and the polarizations of the lines have also been measured. Some of the laser lines have been assigned to pure rotational transitions in the excited state associated with the CO stretching mode, other lines are believed to originate from pumping in combination bands.     

A computer model of a transverse discharge cw CO laser

A kinetic model has been developed for the investigation of the novel performance of a CO laser, on which efficient extraction of laser power was obtained by exciting a subsonic gas mixture of CO/N₂/He/O₂ through transverse dc discharge. Kinetic equations for direct excitation by electron impact, V-V and V-R/T energy transfer, and stimulated emission are coupled with a semi-one-dimensional flow model. Careful consideration is devoted especially to the V-V transfer process of CO–N₂ and N₂–N₂. The laser power was calculated by a constant gain method. The laser output performance, examined as a function of gas mixture ratio, temperature, flow velocity, and discharge current, was in good agreement with the experiment.     

New strong CW FIR laser actions and assignments in COF2

Thirty one new cw far-infrared laser lines have been discovered in COF₂ optically pumped by a CO₂ laser and a N₂O laser, in a metallic waveguide resonator. This number appreciably increases the number of eighteen lines appearing in the literature. Moreover, some of the new lines show that intense far-infrared laser action might be obtained with an optimized cavity, as it was the case for some of the previously reported lines. Twenty-seven, amongst the thirty one new lines, have been fully identified.     

Characteristics of a wire preionized nitrogen laser with helium as buffer gas

The operation of a small N₂ laser using wire preionization and He as a buffer gas is discussed. The preionization is found to increase the output power and energy by 50% while the addition of helium can increase fourfold the output power.     

A cadmium photoionization laser pumped by laser induced plasma radiation from a multi foci device

Soft x-rays from a laser-produced plasma were used to perform innershell photoionization of Cd atoms and to generate laser radiation at 442 nm. To achieve longer interaction zones between the Cd vapor and the soft x-ray flux, up to three plasma spots have been applied. In this way a maximum laser energy of 300 J with a 600 mJ Nd:YAG laser for the plasma production was achieved. Experimental investigations and corresponding rate-equation calculations indicate, that photoelectrons play an important role in the total laser kinetics.     

Study of simultaneous oscillation on several transitions in cw CO laser

Received: 13 September 1995/Revised version: 5 August 1996     

Influence of circuit and UV prioniser parameters on the performance of a discharge pumped KrF laser

The influence of the preioniser and main discharge circuit parameters on the performance of a high pressure UV preionised KrF laser using NF₃ as the fluorine donor has been investigated. Output laser energy densities of 1.7J·1⁻¹ based on the mode volume have been obtained under optimised conditions.     

Intensity enhancement of the C5+ Balmer radiation excited by capillary discharge pumping

The intensity of the 18.2 nm Balmer α-transition in C⁵⁺ excited in a capillary discharge using alumina and polyacetal tubes was studied. For discharge currents of up to 80 kA in tubes filled with C₂H₂, intense radiation from the excitation of C⁵⁺ ions and from the recombination of C⁶⁺ ions was observed. With increasing length of the discharge, the intensity in the falling edge of the recombination pulse rises faster than proportional. In contrast to previous investigations, gain by stimulated emission is excluded. The enhancement is ascribed to an optical guiding of the XUV radiation in the dense plasma created by ablation from the tube walls. Received: 1 April 1999 / Revised version: 22 July 1999 / Published online: 30 November 1999     

Experimental study of cw carbon monoxide flame chemical laser of the CS2/O2/CO2 type

The performance of a continuous-wave (cw) CO flame chemical laser (FCL) of the CS₂/O₂/CO₂ type is presented. The laser gives up to 0.7 W cw output power on a number ofP _v (J) lines corresponding to 1110, ..., 76 vibrational bands of CO molecule. The measured values of chemical efficiency based on the reaction O+CSCO^*(v)+S and the specific power are 0.1% and 0.7J/g, respectively. The spectral composition of the CO FCL of the CS₂/O₂/CO₂ type shows lasing in the region from 5.194 to 5.573 m. All experimental measurements are conducted with a nondispersive optical cavity.     

Saturation stabilization of the CO fundamental-band laser

We recently reported the extension of CO laser operation to a variety of single-line transitions in the fundamental band (v=1 0). Now saturation stabilization of these lines could be achieved using an intracavity absorption cell with CO at low pressure. A 3f-detection technique allowed reliable frequency locking on transitions from P(8) to P(14). A frequency stability of better than 10kHz was indicated. The frequency of the P(14) transition was measured in a heterodyne experiment to be 62, 546, 358.324 (50) MHz.     

Characteristics of a hybridly mode-locked cw dye laser

We present experimental and theoretical results on the characteristics and random variations of subpicosecond pulses generated by a synchronously pumped cw dye laser with saturable absorber. The analysis of the power spectra indicates rapid fluctuations of the pulse duration of 40–50%, energy fluctuations of 3%, and a jitter of the repetition time of 0.1% corresponding to an absolute jitter of 12 ps. The latter is caused mainly by the temporal jitter of the pump laser. A mismatch of the lengths of the dye and the pump-laser cavity can result in a nonstationary mode-locking regime with a periodic change of the pulse parameters. The interpretation of the experimental results are supported by computer simulations of the pulse evolution process.