A continuous-mode model of the mode locking in a pump-modulated laser

The active mode-locking process of the multimode laser with an external pump modulation is theoretically investigated in the frequency domain within the framework of the continuous-mode approximation. Intermode interaction and mode-coupling effects, including both AM and FM modulations, are naturally considered in a hierarchical equation of the mode components derived from the multimode Maxwell-Bloch equations. It is reduced to a continuous-mode equation that can be solved analytically in a stationary case, and used to discuss the spectral line shape and the phase dynamics of mode-components as a function of modulation amplitude and detuning of the modulation frequency. We predict a novel oscillation existing below the threshold of the ordinary complete mode-locking: The intensity of the total electric field yields a stable pulse train but its phase varies irregularly in time. This semi-locked state is characterized by a nonlinear chirping, an asymmetric spectrum, and drifting phases of the field mode-components.     

Laser resonator with ultrabroad longitudinal mode spacing

A novel type of laser resonator is proposed, in which the resonator length changes with the wavelength of the laser generation. This results in longitudinal mode spacing three orders of magnitude broader than that of conventional cavities. An elementary analysis of the laser resonator is presented and some features and possible applications are discussed.     

On the pulse width of synchronously pumped lasers

The pulse width of a synchronously pumped laser chiefly depends on the available cavity bandwidth and the pump-pulse duration. A functional form of this dependence was suggested in the literature. We present an alternate relation which is supported by analytical and numerical results, as well as by experimental results, obtained by us and by others.     

Multiple scattering of narrow light beams in aerosols

A multiple scattering propagation model of narrow light beams in aerosol media is described. It is based on a paraxial approximation of the radiative transfer equation in which the flux normal to the incident beam direction is modeled by a diffusion process. The model solutions are the forward- and backscattered intensity profiles for the specified geometry and receiver aperture and field of view. The required inputs are the system parameters, and the aerosol single scattering angular phase function and extinction and scattering coefficients which are allowed to vary along the beam axis. Good agreement is shown with measurements performed in the laboratory over scales ranging from a few tens of mm to a few m, and in the atmosphere over a scale of the order of 1 km. The solutions are valid for optical depths smaller than 10, for phase functions corresponding to average size parameters of order one or greater, and for off-axis positions not exceeding 25% of the reciprocal of the scattering coefficient.     

A tunable,single mode,injection-locked flashlamp pumped dye laser

A tunable, very narrow bandwidth, flashpumped dye laser is described. Publse energies up to 50 mJ at a bandwidth of less than 30 MHz, and with a divergence of 0.4 mrad, are obtained. Spectral narrowing and tuning is achieved by injection locking of the pulsed laser to the radiation, of a tunable cw dye laser. The cavity is designed for single longitudinal and transverse mode operation, with a mode diameter large enough to fill the active medium. This work was supported in part by the Israel commission for Basic Research, and in part by a grant from the United States Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), Jerusalem, Israel.     

The waveguide laser: A review

The present article reviews the fundamental physical principles essential to an understanding of waveguide gas and liquid lasers, and the current technological state of these devices. At the present time, waveguide laser transitions span the visible through submillimeter regions of the wavelength spectrum. The introduction discusses the many applications of waveguide lasers and the wide variety of laser configurations that are possible. Section 1 summarizes the properties of modes in hollow dielectric waveguides of circular, rectangular, and planar cross section. Section 2 considers various approaches to optical feedback including internal and external mirror Fabry-Perot type resonators, hollow waveguide distributed feedback structures, and ring-resonant configurations. Section 3 discusses those aspects of molecular kinetic and laser theory pertinent to the design and optimization of waveguide gas lasers such as the scaling laws for discharge-excited gas lasers, molecular models useful in maximizing the oscillation bandwidth, the effects of gas flow rate, and the physics of optically-pumped far-infrared lasers. Finally, a review of the waveguide gas and liquid lasers reported to date is given in Section 4.     

A photolyticallyQ-switched photolytic iodine laser

A novel, repetitively pulsed, photolyticQ-switching scheme has been demonstrated on a 1.315 m (² P _1/2² P _3/2) cw photolytic iodine laser using an intracavity cell containing either IBr or ICl. When the cell is irradiated with a KrF laser (=248 nm), I(² P _3/2) atoms are produced and lasing ceases due to the introduction of loss into the laser cavity. Lasing resumes, however, following recombination of the atoms into the parent molecule. Experimental evidence is presented which indicates that the laser's shut-off time is a function of excimer laser energy and the pressure of buffer gas in the cell.     

Grating feedback in a 810 nm broad-area diode laser

Narrow linewidth, single spectral mode operation has been obtained in a high power, 810 nm broad-area diode laser in an extended cavity configuration with a grating as external reflector (grating feedback). For stable operation it was necessary to misalign the feedback slightly in the plane of the laser junction. Characteristics of the thus obtained laser system are a linewidth below 5 MHz, an output intensity of about 50% of the free running power, a large-scale tuning range of 15 nm and continuous scanning over 4 GHz. In the spatial domain, the laser remains multimode and astigmatic. To show the practical applicability of this system, saturated absorption of a krypton line is demonstrated.     

A new simple model for high-power pulsed gas lasers

An analysis of a modified electrode geometry for pulsed gas-laser excitation circuits, generating shorter excitation pulses than those normally obtained, is reported. Results from an atmospheric N₂ laser obtained with this electrode geometry are compared with others available in the literature.Paper partially presented at the XIII Intern. Quantum Electronics Conf., Los Angeles, CA, USA (1984)     

Controlled two-pulse generation in Q-switch mode from a single laser using Q-modulator with frustrated total internal reflection

In this work a cavity design for double-pulse generation in Q-switched mode from a single laser is proposed, based on the construction of a second laser channel using a FTIR (frustrated total internal reflection) Q-modulator. A time interval between the two pulses from 500 ns to 120 μs is obtained in a Nd:YAG laser. A comparison with other methods and cavity designs for double-pulse generation is presented. The case when this technique is applied on a tunable laser with metastable upper laser level (Cr:LiCAF, Cr:LiSAF, Alexandrite, Co:MgF₂ or other) is also considered. Even though the method presented in the paper does not rely only on the cavity configuration proposed, some advantages can be obtained – both polarization and wavelength-independent tuning without polarization and wavelength restrictions in combination with the possibility of different wavelengths and polarizations in each pulse. Moreover, by using an active medium generating wavelengths around and up to 3 μm, the Pockels-cell-Q-switch optical transmission problems can be avoided. Received: 9 May 2001 / Revised version: 2 August 2001 / Published online: 15 October 2001     

Two-wavelength operation of a femtosecond ring dye laser

We report on two-wavelength operation of a CPM ring dye laser employing Rhodamine 6G as gain medium and a new styryl dye as saturable absorber. Two trains of femtosecond pulses at different wavelengths are simultaneously generated under proper alignment of the laser. The secondary pulse train is attributed to the laser action of the absorber dye. Auto- and cross-correlation measurements are performed to determine the temporal characteristics of the laser in the double mode-locking regime.     

Preionization effects of iso-C4H10 in N2 TE UV lasers

In this paper the ionizing role of isobutane (iso-C₄H₁₀) in the operation of a N₂TE UV laser is analyzed. Laser pulse width value modifications, different laser wavelengths generated in the 2⁺ system and voltage pulse period modifications are analysed in order to show that isobutane, in very reduced quantities, generates a preionizing effect that can be higher than that produced by a conventional wire preionization system.     

Excimer-laser-pumped ps-dye laser

Generation of single dye laser pulses of 12 ps pulse width (FWHM) and 1.2 mJ pulse energy is described using only one XeCl-excimer laser as pump source. At 1 Hz pulse repetition rate the stability of amplitude and pulse width of these pulses is excellent.     

Investigations to the increase of the specific energy of a gasdynamic CO-laser

The input power density and hence the output power of electrically excited gasdynamic lasers is limited by instabilities of the glow discharge. The application of theoretical results, which have been obtained with respect of convection or flow lasers, to the discharge region of an electrically excited gasdynamic CO-laser shows, that especially thermal instabilities cause this glow collapse. An increased convection of local heat concentrations in front of the anode surface results in an improved stability behaviour. Input power densities of up to 100 W/cm³ are now accessible to operate the glow discharge and hence specific laser output powers of 57 kJ/kg are obtained.     

Influence of spatial mode matching in end-pumped solid state lasers

We present investigations on the influence of mode matching on the efficiency of longitudinally pumped solid state lasers. In a theoretical part we enhance an existing model for four level lasers from idealized cylindrical modes to arbitary pump and laser modes in a random relative position thereby neglecting beam deformation due to thermal effects. The theoretical predictions were confirmed experimentally with an end-pumped Nd:YAG rod operated at 1064 nm. To investigate the effect of misalignment on the efficiency we used a Ti-Sapphire pump laser which was displaced relative to the laser beam. To establish the influence of arbitary pump modes on laser performance a diode laser equipped with coupling optics served as pump source for the same resonator. The resulting decrease in slope efficiency compared to the Ti-Sapphire pumped system could be explained in terms of limited mode overlap due to the characteristic pump field distribution produced by the diode coupling optics.     

LIDAR multiple scattering from clouds

Multiple-scattering LIDAR return calculations obtained by seven different models for the same specified numerical experiment are compared. This work results from an international joint effort stimulated by the workshop group called MUSCLE for MUltiple SCattering Lidar Experiments. The models include approximations to the radiative-transfer theory, Monte-Carlo calculations, a stochastic model of the process of multiple scattering, and an extension of Mie theory for particles illuminated by direct and scattered light. The model solutions are similar in form but differ by up to a factor of 5 in the strength of the multiple-scattering contributions. Various reasons for the observed differences are explored and their practical significance is discussed.     

Single longitudinal mode interaction between a uranium atomic beam and a modified Hänsch-type pulsed dye laser

Laser-induced fluorescence is used as a diagnostic tool for testing the tuning between a longitudinal mode of a nitrogen-pumped dye laser and a uranium spectroscopic level in an atomic beam. According to a simple resonator model, the tuning instabilities can be ascribed to thermal drifts in the dye-laser system. Problems encountered in attempting a single mode scanning are also described.The work described in this paper was carried out at the ENEA Laboratory while P. Benetti was assigned to this Laboratory (1981)