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.     

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 Laser Assignments for Methylamine

Reported far-infrared laser lines for five different transition systems of CH₃NH₂ optically pumped by a CO₂ laser have been identified spectroscopically through a high-resolution Fourier transform infrared study of the C-N stretching band together with CO₂-laser/microwave-sideband broad-scan and Lamb-dip measurements. From the infrared analysis plus previous far-infrared (FIR) results for the ground vibrational state, quantum numbers have been assigned for seven methylamine FIR laser transitions and their C-N stretching pump absorptions coincident with the CO₂ laser lines. The assignments are confirmed through the use of closed frequency combination loops that also provide improved FIR laser frequencies to spectroscopic accuracy.     

Electric field effects on an optically-pumped HCOOH FIR laser and Zeeman laser theory

Electric field effects have been investigated on the output power of six far-infrared (FIR) laser lines from H¹²COOH optically-pumped by a CO₂ laser with its polarization arranged perpendicular to the Stark field. Optoacoustic signals observed on the pump lines were hardly affected by the applied electric field up to 0.6 kV/cm. By neglecting the electric field effects on the pump transitions, Zeeman laser theory has been applied to the FIR laser transitions. Numerical calculation predicts the observed FIR output power as a function of electric field. Experessions for oscillation frequency and intensity in homogeneous limit are given, which may be applicable to any FIR Stark laser so far as the pump transition is free from electric field effects.     

Measurements and assignments of new large offset CD3OH FIR laser lines

By using an acoustooptic modulator we extend the 300 MHz tunability of a waveguide CO₂ laser to 480 MHz. The CD₃OH was optically pumped by the 10R(32), 10R(34), and 10R(36) CO₂ laser lines, and 17 new FIR laser lines were discovered. The Stark effect on previously known FIR laser lines was investigated, and some tentative FIR laser lines assignments are suggested.     

New FIR laser lines and frequency measurements for optically pumped CD3OH

Twenty new cw FIR laser lines in CD₃OH, optically pumped by a CO₂ laser, are reported. The frequencies of 39 of the stronger laser lines were measured relative to stabilized CO₂ lasers with a fractional uncertainty, as determined by the reproducibility of the FIR frequency itself, of 2 parts in 10⁷.Contribution of the U.S. Government, not subject to copyright.     

Frequency measurement of the solitary ethyl alcohol laser line

We measured the frequency, the relative polarization and the pump frequency offset of the single FIR laser line obtained by optically pumping ethyl alcohol C₂H₅OH with a cw CO₂ laser.Supported in part by a joint grant with the U.S. National Science Foundation grant # INT80-19014 and the Brazilian Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas (CNPq).Contribution of the U. S. Government, not subject to copyright.     

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.     

New CW FIR laser lines obtained in ammonia pumped by a CO2 laser, using the Stark tuning method

We report fifty seven CW FIR emissions observed in NH₃, by resonant pumping with a CO₂ laser. Exact coincidences between IR absorption lines of the gas and emission lines of the CO₂ laser have been carried out by Stark tuning. IR frequency shifts, up to 30 GHz, have allowed the pumping of forty three NH₃ transitions.These FIR emissions correspond to thirty one different wavelengths in the 50–400 m range; eighteen ones of them are new emitted wavelengths by pumping with the CO₂ laser.     

New cw FIR laser lines from optically pumped silyl fluoride (SiH3F)

FIR laser action has been observed for the first time in a molecule containing silicon: silyl fluoride, SiH₃F. Eleven new cw optically pumped lines between 187 and 1014m were detected from both open resonator and waveguide structures. Although the chlorine analogue, SiH₃Cl, showed strong absorption at every CO₂ laser frequency no FIR laser emission was detected at the pump powers available.     

A compact, highly stable CW CO2 laser without brewster windows

We describe an open resonator, quasi sealed-off; 70cm cavity length CO₂ laser with very high stability of power and frequency, which lases on 96 lines from 9R42 (2W) to 10P52 (5W) with a power of >11W on 9R20, 9P20, 10R20 and 10P20, plus on 18 hotband lines with ≈2W. This laser was used successfully to pump an FIR ring laser [1] enabling an FIR power stability of ΔP/P ≈ 10⁻⁴ by use of a simple PI control loop, thus demonstrating its superb frequency stability.     

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.     

FIR Laser Lines from CH3OD: A Review

The methanol isotopic species CH₃OD has also proved to be an efficient and powerful medium to generate radiation in the far infrared (FIR) region. After the critical review of 1994, six papers have been published dealing with new FIR laser lines from this molecule. As a consequence of the use of wide tunability waveguide CO₂ lasers as well as a new pulsed CO₂ laser operating at hot and sequential bands, as of optical pumping sources, the total number of the FIR laser lines increased from 122 in 1994 to 227 today. In this communication we present an updated and complete catalogue of FIR laser lines generated from CH₃OD. Information on wavelength, offset, relative polarization, intensity, and optimum operation pressure is generally available.     

Resonant pumping far-infrared NH3 laser

A far-infrared (FIR) NH₃ laser was resonantly pumped with a line-tunable infrared (IR) NH₃ laser. The number of the observed FIR laser lines amounted to 33. Most of them belonged toaR(J,K) rotation-inversion transition in (0, 1, 0, 0) vibrational state. The line tunability of sealed-off FIR NH₃ laser was almost achieved in 90, 115, 150, and 220 m wavelength regions by the selective line tuning of the pumping IR NH₃ laser.     

Theoretical study of multi-mode optically pumped NH3 FIR laser

The two or multi-mode optically pumped NH₃ FIR laser had been studied theoretically. The NH₃ molecular gas was assumed to be a three-level system and obeyed the time-dependent behavior of the density matrix equations. Considering the situation of playing the two or multi-mode optical pumping and the FIR laser field were same polarized. The gain coefficient and the output FIR power of the system could be calculated by using the iteration method.It had been predicted that the two or multiple longitudinal mode optically pumped NH₃ FIR laser could have a greater output power or higher lasing efficiency than single mode pumped FIR laser under suitable selected operating parameters of laser.Supported by The Education Foundation of PRC.     

Diffusion of excited state molecules in FIR- and CO2-lasers

Both standing waves in laser oscillators and spatially inhomogenous cross sections of laser beam and pumprate cause a non-uniform distribution of excited state molecules in longitudinal and transversal direction, respectively. This spatial hole burning however is smoothed by diffusion of the excited molecules. The effect of diffusion is investigated theoretically for an optically pumped far infrared laser as well as the corresponding CO₂ pump laser. It is found, that the remaining spatial hole burning in the direction of wave propagation is negligible within CO₂ lasers but not within FIR lasers. Concerning the transversal direction it can be shown that in the FIR laser diffusion takes no effect, whereas the transversal distribution of the excited molecules in the CO₂ laser is significantly influenced by diffusion.FIR ring lasers avoid longitudinal spatial hole burning, which leads to the common assumption that they use the active medium more efficient than conventional standing wave lasers, hence delivering higher output powers. This expected advantage is levelled out to a great extent by diffusion.     

The tuning characteristics of optically pumped fir cavity laser

Based on the quantum mechanics theory of density matrix and the principle of multiple-beam interference, the tuning characteristics of optically pumped NH₃ FIR lasers were studied. A series of metallic mesh Fabry-Perot cavity lasers with sample tubes of 10cm, 20cm and 100cm in length were constructed and operated successfully, and the FIR laser spectra of the NH₃ cavity lasers pumped by a TEA-CO₂ laser were measured. Supported by the Natural Sciences Foundation of Guangdong Province, PRC     

High power FIR NH3 laser using a folded resonator

A compact FIR laser cavity having a couple of folding mirrors was designed. By inserting this FIR cavity into the pump TE CO₂ laser resonator, we observed 19 FIR NH₃ laser lines of which 4 new lines were included. The maximum output power was over 500 W at 90 m.     

Theoretical Study of Optically Pumped NH3 Far-Infrared Laser in Vibrational Ground State

In this paper, the density matrix equation of three-level system for far-infrared (FIR) Raman transition in vibrational ground state was solved. By means of iteration method and numerical calculation, the spectral characteristics of NH₃ molecules FIR laser with TEA CO₂-10R(14) laser pumping was studied theoretically. The theoretical result would help us to understand the physical mechanism of optically pumped molecular gases FIR laser with ground-state reversal transition.     

R branch tuning characteristics of the13CH3F Raman FIR laser

Summary We described a¹³CH₃F Raman laser pumped by a grating tuned 20 atmospheres CO₂ laser. The emission characteristics of the¹³CH₃F laser extends from 14 cm^–1–35 cm^–1 and from 49 cm^–1–72 cm^–1; about 65% of these frequency ranges can be covered with tunable radiation. The characteristics shows a strong dependence on the rotaional quantum numbers of the states involved in the Raman laser transitions and, within each tuning interval, on the frequency offset with respect to the frequencies of resonant transitions. We obtained, at 51 cm^–1, a maximum FIR laser pulse energy of about 800 J (at a pump energy of 200 mJ), corresponding to a photon conversion of about 8%. In some cases we have observed simultaneous emission at a Raman and a cascade frequency. In addition, FIR emission power dependence on¹³CH₃F gas pressure and pump pulse power were investigated for different J quantum numbers.