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.     

Optically Pumped Far-Infrared Laser Lines of Methanol Isotopomers: 12CD3OH, 12CH3OD, and 12CH2DOH

Twenty-seven new FIR, far-infrared, laser lines from the isotopomers of methanol: ¹²CD₃OH, ¹²CH₃OD, and ¹²CH₂DOH, were obtained by optically pumping the molecules with an efficient cw CO₂ laser. The CO₂ laser provided pumping from regular, sequence, and hot-band CO₂ laser transitions. The 2 m long far-infrared cavity was a metal-dielectric waveguide closed by two, flat end mirrors. Several short-wavelength (below 100 m) lines were observed. The frequencies of 28 laser lines observed in this cavity (including new lines and already known lines) were measured with a fractional uncertainty limited by the fractional resetability of the far-infrared laser cavity, of 2 parts in 10⁷.     

Optically-Pumped Far-Infrared Laser Lines of Methanol Isotopomers: 12CH3OH, 12CH3OD, and 12CH2DOH

Twenty-seven new far-infrared laser lines from the isotopomers of methanol: ¹²CD₃OH, ¹²CH₃OD, and ¹²CH₂DOH, were obtained by optically-pumping the molecules with an efficient cw CO₂ laser. The CO₂ laser provided pumping from regular, sequence, and hot-band CO₂ laser transitions. The 2-m long far-infrared cavity was a metal-dielectric waveguide closed by two, flat end mirrors. Several short-wavelength (below 100 m) lines were observed. The frequencies of 28 laser lines observed in this cavity (including new lines and already known lines) were measured with a fractional uncertainty limited by the fractional resetability of the far-infrared laser cavity, of 2 parts in 10⁷.     

New NH2H4 far-infrared laser lines and their frequencies

We report 25 new far-infrared laser lines and 26 heterodyne frequency measurements in hydrazine. The frequencies range from 1.0 to 5.5 THz with most of the frequencies between 2.5 and 4.0 THz. The lines were generated in a high frequency, far-infrared Fabry-Perot laser cavity pumped by a CO₂ laser. The cavity has a high Q for wavelengths below 150 µm and uses variable coupling to optimize the power for each line.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.     

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.     

New Far-Infrared Laser Lines and Frequency Measurements of Acetaldehyde and Vinyl Fluoride

Eight far-infrared laser lines have been obtained by optically pumping acetaldehyde (CH₃CHO) and nine by pumping vinyl fluoride (CH₂CHF) with a cw CO₂ laser. The far-infrared laser structure used a metal-dielectric waveguide cavity. This is the first reported observation of four of the laser lines in acetaldehyde. In this work, we measure the frequency, optimum pressure of operation, relative intensity, relative polarization, and pump offset from CO₂ laser-line center.     

12CH3OH and 13CH3OH optically pumped by the 10P and 10HP bands of a pulsed CO2 laser: New far-infrared laser emissions and assignments

We have re-investigated the ¹²CH₃OH and the ¹³CH₃OH molecules as optically pumped far-infrared laser sources. We have used our new waveguide pulsed-high-peak-power CO₂ laser for pumping, finding 20 new far-infrared laser lines emitted by ¹²CH₃OH and seven emitted by ¹³CH₃OH. For each line we report wavelength, pump offset from the center of the exciting CO₂ line, relative polarization, optimum operating pressure and intensity. The LaseRitz program was able to assign one of the new laser systems of ¹²CH₃OH, involving two new far-infrared laser lines.PACS 42.55.Lt; 42.62.Fi     

Assignments of methanol laser lines by frequency measurements and Fourier transform spectroscopy

We have measured the frequencies of four CH₃OH far-infrared laser lines that were previously known only by wavelength measurement. Two of these lines turned out to be doublets, bringing the total number of measured lines to six. We can now confirm the assignments of five of them and definitely disprove the assignments proposed for the sixth.In particular we confirm the assignments for the four strong laser lines at 205 and 208 µm pumped by the 9-P(34) CO₂ laser line. These lines share a common upper level in the first excited CO-stretch state, and terminate in the upper and lower levels of a hybrid state with J=5. Heterodyne frequency measurements and conventional microwave spectroscopy show that both lines are split into two components approximately 3.5 MHz apart. The origin of this further splitting is interpreted as a perturbed K-splitting.Work supported by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche -Italia     

Discovery and frequency measurement of far-infrared laser emissions generated by optically pumped CH2DOH

A recently improved three-laser heterodyne system was used to frequency measure ten previously observed optically pumped far-infrared (FIR) laser emissions from the partially deuterated methanol isotopologue CH₂DOH. Also, a 64.0 μm FIR emission generated by the 9P32 line of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser was discovered and frequency measured. These newly measured frequencies have fractional uncertainties on the order of ±2×10^-7 and correspond to laser wavelengths ranging from 42.6 to 152.7 μm. The offset frequency for the CO₂ pump laser was measured for twenty-two CH₂DOH FIR laser emissions. PACS 07.57.Hm; 42.55Lt; 42.62.Eh     

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 Optically Pumped FIR Laser Lines and Frequency Measurements from CH3OD

This work reports the discovery of 45 new optically pumped far-infrared (FIR) laser lines from CH₃OD in the range 42.6 m to 207.2 m. A highly efficient CO₂ laser was used as the pump laser for an Optically-pumped Fabry-Perot FIR laser. The frequencies of most of the new lines were measured in the range 1.7 to 6.4 THz. Twenty-eight CO₂ lines were used as pump lines; nineteen of these had frequencies lower than those previously used to pump CH₃OD in a FIR laser. Sixteen of the new FIR lines had absorption transitions which belong to the OD bending vibrational mode.     

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.     

Investigation of 13CH3OH methanol: new laser lines and assignments

We have reinvestigated ¹³CH₃OH as a source of far-infrared (FIR) laser emission using a CO₂ laser as a pumping source. Thirty new FIR laser lines in the range 36.5 μm to 202.6 μm were observed and characterized. Five of them have wavelengths between 36.5 and 75 μm and have sufficient intensity to be used in LMR spectroscopy. Using Fourier-transform spectroscopic data in the infrared (IR) and FIR regions we have determined the assignment for 10 FIR laser transitions and predict nine frequencies for laser lines which have yet to be observed. Received: 17 July 2000 / Published online: 6 December 2000     

Improved deuterium bromide 1-0 band molecular constants from heterodyne frequency measurements

Heterodyne frequency measurements have been made on selected deuterium bromide 1-0 band transitions ranging from P(20) to R(17). Difference frequency beat notes between a tunablediode laser whose frequency was locked to the DBr absorption lines and a CO laser whose frequency was either locked or adjusted to a reference synthesized from CO₂ laser frequency standards were measured. The beat note frequency was then combined with the measured CO laser frequency to give the DBr frequency. For two of the measurements, frequency-doubled CO₂ laser radiation was substituted for the CO laser radiation. The measurements included electric quadrupole split triplets comprising the R(0) and P(1) transitions in the D⁷⁹Br isotope. New DBr constants have been determined, and a table of frequencies is presented for the calibration of spectrometers and tunable lasers in the wavenumber range 1600 to 1990 cm^?1. A table of far-infrared frequencies is also given for DBr covering the range from 50 to 206 cm^?1.     

New FIR laser lines from hydrazine and assignments

Our new waveguide pulsed CO₂ laser, with peak powers above 1 kW, has allowed us to observe 24 new far-infrared laser lines emitted by hydrazine. Each of them is characterized in wavelength, relative polarization, intensity, optimum operating pressure and pump offset from the center of the exciting CO₂ line. These new laser emissions either form pairs sharing the same pump line, or complete such pairs with lines known from the literature. In the latter case, we have measured the relative polarization and offset of the partner lines whenever they were not reported in the literature. The availability of laser systems with two emission lines orthogonally polarized and sharing the same upper level is expected to facilitate the assignment work. We present complete assignments for four FIR laser emissions, and we propose J and K values for 12 further laser systems. PACS 42.55.Lt; 42.62.Fi     

Investigation for long wavelength fir laser lines for EPR studies: New lines from CH2=CF2

The results described in this work are part of a systematic search for long wavelength laser lines to be used in high magnetic field EPR applications and in plasma diagnostic. Four new far-infrared laser lines of CH₂ = CF₂ (1,1 difluoroethylene), optically pumped by a waveguide CO₂ laser, have been discovered and characterized in wavelength, polarization relative to the pumping radiation and offset relative to the CO₂ center frequency. New measurements of polarization and offset of 5 already known laser lines are also reported. A table of all of the known CO₂ pumped FIR laser lines from this molecule is given.     

Doppler-free optoacoustic spectroscopy of O-18 methanol

The Doppler-free optoacoustic spectrum of the oxygen-18 species of methanol has been investigated with a CO₂ laser. Seventeen coincidences have been found between infrared absorptions of CH¹⁸₃OH and CO₂ laser lines. The strongest feature seen, pumped by the 10R(20) CO₂ laser line, has two plausible alternative identifications, determined from a parallel high-resolution spectroscopic study of the C-O stretching band. Further experimental tests are suggested to resolve the assignment, and predicted far-infrared laser frequencies are given for the two possibilities.     

CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>OH optically pumped by a <Superscript>13</Superscript>CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> laser: new laser lines and assignments

We report 12 new THz (far-infrared) laser lines from methanol (CH₃OH), ranging from 58.1 μm (5.2 THz) to 624.6 μm (0.5 THz). A ¹³CO₂ laser of wide tunability (110 MHz) has been used for optical pumping, allowing access to previously unexplored spectral regions. Optoacoustic absorption spectra were used as a guide to search for new THz laser lines, which have been characterized in wavelength, polarization, offset, relative intensity, and optimum operation pressure. For 20 laser lines previously observed, we have measured the absorption offset with respect to the ¹³CO₂ laser line center. PACS 33.20.Ea; 33.20.Vq; 33.80.-b     

Assignment of Fir Laser Lines of Fully Deuterated Dichloromethane

We have recently reported 16 new far-infrared laser emissions of CD₂Cl₂. While the overwhelming majority of the previously known FIR laser emissions of this molecule were polarized parallel to the polarization of the pump CO₂ line, 13 of our 16 new lines are polarized perpendicularly to the exciting CO₂ radiation. In principle, the presence of perpendicular/parallel emission pairs is extremely important for the assignment of laser transitions. In the present work we discuss the possible assignments of 16 far-infrared (FIR) laser emission pairs of CD₂Cl₂.     

New FIR Laser Lines and Frequency Measurements of CD3OD

The isotopomer of methanol, CD₃OD, was optically pumped by a cw CO₂ laser resulting in 53 new far-infrared (FIR) laser lines. The wavelengths are in the range 42.9 m to 189.9 m with the majority below 100 m. Ten different CO₂ lines were used for the first time to pump CD₃OD yielding new FIR laser lines. Some of the CO₂ pump lines belong to the hot-bands and sequence-bands of CO₂ in the 10 m region. The frequency was measured for 40 FIR laser lines in the range 1.5 THz to 6.9 THz, 32 of which were new laser lines.