Tunable,sub-nanosecond KrF-Raman laser in the ultraviolet

A 0.5 cm^–1 bandwidth injection-locked KrF laser pumps a rare-gas Brillouin cell to produce a reflected pulse with a leading edge risetime of 1 ns, tunable from 248.1 to 248.7 nm. Consistent with Lamb theory of laser amplifiers, subsequent excimer amplification of this pulse produces an intense 500 ps spike on the pulse leading edge. Stimulated Raman scattering then separates the spike from the parent pulse, yielding a tunable short pulse at the first Stokes (S ₁) wavelength. Varying the Raman cell length results in a variable Raman threshold and an adjustable short pulse duration: 250 ps pulses at energies of 3–4 mJ at 268 nm with a 50 cm methane cell and 350 ps, 5 mJ pulses from a 100 cm cell are measured with a streak camera. First pass Raman conversion of the spike toS ₁ followed by second pass backward Raman amplification, where the parent 248 nm pulse serves as the pump beam for the reflectedS ₁ pulse, yields simultaneousS ₁ pulses of 20–25 mJ in the 800 ps range andS ₂ pulses of 550 ps at 5–6 mJ near 290 nm. This laser will avoid collision effects during laser excitation and enable quantitative, single pulse imaging of OH radicals in turbulent combustion because of its high pulse energy.     

Broad-band regenerative laser amplification in ytterbium-doped calcium fluoride (Yb:CaF<Subscript>2</Subscript>)

An output pulse energy of 17.3 mJ has been achieved with a diode-pumped Yb:CaF₂ regenerative laser amplifier. The bandwidth of the output pulse spectrum was 7.3 nm, being seeded with femtosecond pulses stretched to 2.2 ns. In cw operation a tuning range of 80 nm has been observed. A maximum pulse energy of 44 mJ at a repetition rate of 1 Hz has been obtained in Q-switched mode. The laser damage threshold of a Yb:CaF₂ crystal has been determined at a wavelength of 1064 nm and a pulse duration of 10 ns. PACS 42.55.Ah; 42.55.Xi; 42.70.Hj     

1064nm纳秒激光脉冲激发的外腔式PbWO4拉曼激光器

研究了外腔式PbWO4拉曼激光器在纳秒脉冲抽运下的输出特性。利用主动调Q的Nd:YAG激光器产生的脉冲宽度为31.4ns,最大输出能量为200mJ的1064nm激光作为抽运源。拉曼激光谐振腔采用的是平凹腔设计。测量了输出的拉曼光脉宽与抽运能量的关系,分析了输出的拉曼光脉冲波形图和光谱图,测量了输出的拉曼光脉冲能量与抽运能量的关系,计算了转换效率与抽运能量的关系。当注入抽运光能量达到42mJ时,得到了一阶斯托克斯光脉冲的最大能量和转换效率分别为10mJ和24%,获得外腔式PbWO4拉曼激光器的一阶斯托克斯光脉冲波长为1177.6nm,典型的一阶斯托克斯光脉冲脉宽为20ns。     

High-peak power multi-wavelength picosecond pulses generated from a BaWO4 Raman-seeded optical parametric amplifier

We report the generation of high-peak power multi-wavelength picosecond laser pulses using optical parametric amplification (OPA) in BBO seeded with pulses generated in a 5-mm length BaWO₄ crystal by stimulated Raman scattering of 18-ps laser pulses at 532 nm. The maximum output energy of the amplified first-Stokes component at 559.7 nm was about 1.76 mJ. The corresponding maximum peak power, pulse duration and spectral line width were measured to be 117.3 MW, 15 ps and 18.0 cm⁻¹, respectively. The multi-wavelength picosecond laser pulses were in the visible and near infrared ranges. Using this Raman-seeded OPA technique, the beam quality of the stimulated Raman scattering pulses can be improved.     

A chirp-compensated, injection-seeded alexandrite laser

A Q-switched alexandrite laser suitable for high-resolution spectroscopy is described which produces pulses of 35 mJ energy in a 10 MHz bandwidth, with a high-purity TEM₀₀ mode. The laser can be synchronised to external event to within 100 ns. The output pulse length is 120 ns and the repetition rate 25 Hz. The laser is injection-seeded by a Ti:sapphire laser operating around 730 nm. To preserve single-mode seeding under external triggering conditions, and to obtain small time-jitter, active cavity length control was used. In order to achieve the 10 MHz output bandwidth, intra-cavity electro-optic modulators were used to compensate for the frequency chirp. The refractive index of alexandrite was found to vary linearly with inversion density with a constant of proportionality equal to 1.6᎒^-24 cm³. In pulsed operation at 730 nm, the index change due to this effect is only partially compensated by changes due to ground state phonon relaxation.     

高效率,窄脉冲1 198.5 nm Ba(NO3)2喇曼激光器

利用1064nm的Nd∶YAG激光抽运振荡腔内的硝酸钡晶体,获得高效率、窄脉冲的喇曼激光输出.硝酸钡晶体由水溶液降温法生长,长度为48 mm.喇曼振荡腔由对抽运光、一阶、二阶斯托克斯光有不同反射率的双色平面镜构成.当抽运光功率达到4.5 W时,获得最高的一阶斯托克斯喇曼激光功率为1.48 W,相应的转换效率为32.9%,并测得斜率效率为40%.由于受激喇曼散射的作用,喇曼脉冲光由抽运脉冲光的19.8 ns压缩为2.4 ns,获得的喇曼激光脉冲波形具有的“上升沿陡峭、下降沿缓慢”的特性,对其形成过程作了定性分析.测得喇曼激光的波长为1 198.5 nm,半峰全宽（FWHM）为1.2 nm.     

KGW 晶体外腔式高功率579 nm喇曼黄光激光器

报道了579 nm高功率KGd(WO₄)₂喇曼晶体外腔式喇曼黄光激光器的输出特性.基于808 nm脉冲激光二极管侧面泵浦Nd:YAG陶瓷、腔内BBO电光晶体同步延迟调Q和Ⅰ类临界相位匹配的LBO晶体腔外倍频方案,并通过外腔式KGW晶体Ng轴二阶斯托克斯喇曼频移,获得了579.54 nm黄光激光输出.当脉冲信号重复频率为1 kHz、532 nm泵浦光最高平均功率为5.02 W、脉冲宽度为10.1 ns时,获得了最高平均功率2.58 W、脉冲宽度7.4 ns、峰值功率348.6 kW的579.54 nm二阶斯托克斯喇曼黄光激光输出;532 nm至579.54 nm的光-光转化效率为51.4%、斜率效率为54.8%,光束质量因子M_x-579.54²=5.829、M_y-579.54²=6.336,输出功率不稳定性小于±2.35%.实验表明:外腔式喇曼结构能够高效地获得喇曼黄光,具有很高的光-光转化效率及良好的功率稳定性,并通过脉冲LD结合同步延迟电光调Q可获得高重复频率、高平均功率、窄脉冲宽度和高峰值功率的黄光激光输出.     

微型化LD泵浦Er~(3+),Yb~(3+)共掺磷酸盐玻璃被动调Q激光器

报道了一种主要应用于激光测距的微型化激光二极管泵浦Er3+/Yb3+共掺磷酸盐玻璃被动调Q激光器。采用中心波长940nm的二极管作为泵浦源,Er3+/Yb3+共掺磷酸盐玻璃作为增益介质,Co2+:MgAl2O4作为被动调Q晶体,通过优化增益介质和被动调Q晶体参数,获得了最佳的增益介质长度和被动调Q晶体初始透过率。当泵浦能量14mJ,重复频率10Hz,泵浦脉宽5ms时,获得了单脉冲能量480μJ,脉宽5ns,峰值功率大于20kW的激光输出,激光光束质量因子为1.2。     

Synchronous dual-wavelength operation of a self-injection-seeded narrow-linewidth flash-lamp-pumped Q-switched Ti:Al2O3 laser

Perfect synchronization of two different wavelength oscillations that are tunable within a range of 770-820nm is obtained from a self-injection-seeded Q-switched flash-lamp-pumped Ti:Al(2)O(3)laser. In spite of a significant time difference (as much as 2 mus) between the two seed pulses generated in the master oscillator, a common Pockels cell switch synchronizes the two injection-seeded Q-switched pulses growing from spatially separated slave oscillators in a common laser rod within a delay time of <3ns , depending on the combination of the two wavelengths. A sum output energy of ~41mJ/pulse was obtained for a pair of 780- and 810-nm pulses with a typical pulse width of ~30ns (FWHM).     

Pulsed blue-light generation by the frequency doubling of the 4F3/2 to 4I9/2 transition in Nd:YAG and Nd:YAlO3

We report on the frequency doubling of Q-switchedNd:YAG and Nd:YAlO₃ lasers emitting at 946 and 930 nm, respectively (⁴F_3/2 to ⁴I_9/2 transition). The neodymium-doped laser host crystals were excited with a flashlamp-pumped Cr:LiSAF laser operating in a free-running mode. Blue-light pulses were obtained at both 473 nm (9 mJ, 25 ns FWHM) and 465 nm (4.4 mJ, 35 ns FWHM) by using a potassium niobate crystal as an extra-cavity frequency doubler. The second-harmonic generation conversion efficiencies reached 53% and 31%, respectively. Received: 23 June 1999 / Revised version: 8 August 1999 / Published online: 3 November 1999     

1kHz窄脉宽高峰值功率MgO∶LN电光腔倒空Nd∶YAG激光器

报道了一种1kHz窄脉冲宽度、高峰值功率的电光腔倒空1 064nm全固态激光器.该激光器采用808nm脉冲LD侧面泵浦Nd:YAG晶体棒的双凹型折叠谐振腔结构和同步延迟MgO∶LN晶体横向加压式电光腔倒空技术,通过优化设计谐振腔结构,在脉冲重复频率200Hz时,获得了最大单脉冲能量46.7mJ、脉冲宽度4.06ns、峰值功率11.50MW的1 064nm脉冲激光稳定输出,脉冲宽度和能量的峰峰值不稳定度分别为±1.52%和±2.02%;在1kHz时,最大单脉冲能量达到18.3mJ,脉冲宽度5.02ns,峰值功率3.69MW,脉冲宽度和能量的峰峰值不稳定度分别为±2.75%和±3.52%,激光束因子为3.849和3.868,远场发散角为3.46mrad和3.55mrad,束腰直径为1 508.84μm和1 477.30μm.     

Intracavity optical parametric oscillator pumped by passively Q-switched Nd:YLF laser

We report on a passively Q-switched end pumped Nd:YLF laser including a noncritically phase-matched KTP singly resonant intracavity optical parametric oscillator (IOPO-KTP). For the Q-switching operation we have used Cr:YAG saturable absorber. The optimized passively Q-switched Nd:YLF laser without IOPO generated linearly polarized pulses of 11.5 ns and 1.07 mJ at 1047 nm. The conversion efficiency of the optimized Q-switched pulse energy at 1047 nm to 1547 nm of a signal approached about 47%. For optimizing both Nd:YLF laser and IOPO we have numerically solved a theoretical model. We have achieved 1.6-ns duration pulses at 1547 nm with energy of 0.5 mJ and peak power of above 300 kW. The beam quality was excellent (M² ≈1).     

Injection-Seeded 500 Hz Repetition Rate High Peak Power Single-Frequency Nd:YAG Laser for Mid-Infrared Generation

We develop an injection-seeded single-frequency neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser with 500 Hz repetition rate and high peak power. The laser construction is designed as seed injection and master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) including single-frequency master oscillator, extra-cavity frequency doubling crystal, and round-trip power amplifier. The master oscillator can emit 1,064 nm laser of 8.4 mJ with 6.8 ns pulse width at the pump energy equal to 23 mJ. A green laser energy of 1.1 mJ is obtained by setting the proper temperature of the LBO crystal. The pulse energy of 1,064 nm laser decreases to 6.5 mJ after passing through the LBO crystal and rises to 25.3 mJ after a round-trip power amplifier corresponding to the extraction efficiency of 29%. The final output pulse width is 6.5 ns, representing a peak power of 3.9 MW. The 1,064 nm laser beam quality factor M² of the master oscillator and the amplified one are 1.3 and 1.5, respectively. The laser will be used to generate mid-infrared where the 532 nm laser with narrow pulse width is to pump sheet optical parametric oscillator (OPO) and the 1,064 nm laser with high peak power to pump the OPO.     

1444-nm Q-switched pulse generator based on Nd:YAG/V:YAG microchip laser

Q-switched microchip laser emitting radiation at eye-safe wavelength 1444 nm was designed and realized. This laser was based on composite crystal which consists of 4 mm long Nd:YAG active medium diffusion bonded with 1 mm long V:YAG saturable absorber. The diameter of the composite crystal was 5 mm. The initial transmission of the V:YAG part was T ₀ = 94% @ 1440 nm. The microchip resonator consists of dielectric mirrors, directly deposited onto the composite crystal surfaces. These mirrors were specially designed to ensure desired emission at 1444 nm and to prevent parasitic lasing at other Nd³⁺ transmissions. The output coupler with reflectivity 94% for the generated wavelength 1444 nm was placed on the V³⁺-doped part. The laser was operating under pulsed pumping for the duty-cycle up to 50%. With increasing value of mean pumping power a strong decrease of generated pulse length was observed. The shortest generated pulses were 4.2 ns long (FWHM). Stable pulses with energy 34 μJ were generated with repetition rate up to 1.5 kHz. Corresponding pulse peak power was 8.2 kW. The wavelength of linearly polarized TEM₀₀ laser mode was fixed to 1444 nm.     

A comparison of ns and ps steam laser cleaning of Si surfaces

We report a quantitative investigation on the efficiency of the steam laser cleaning process using ns and ps pulses. Well-characterized polymer particles with a diameter of 800 nm dispersed on commercial Si wafers were chosen as a modeling contaminant system. As a result of our investigation, we show for the first time the feasibility of performing efficient steam laser cleaning with ps laser pulses and compare the achieved efficiency with the one obtained for ns pulses. For ns pulses, we found a cleaning fluence threshold of 50 mJ/cm² that is independent of the pulse durations (2.5 ns and 8 ns) and the wavelengths (532 nm and 583 nm) used. The application of ps pulses (FWHM=30 ps, 5=583 nm) lowered this threshold to 20 mJ/cm². Both cleaning thresholds are far below the melting thresholds for these laser parameters. Cleaning efficiencies >90% were reached for both pulse durations.     

Diode-pumped single-frequency-Nd:YGG-MOPA for water–vapor DIAL measurements: design, setup and performance

A diode-pumped Q-switched and injection-seeded single-frequency laser, generating tunable laser radiation at 935 nm, is presented. Using Nd:YGG (Y₃Ga₅O₁₂) as the active medium, the laser that was developed to serve as a transmitter for water–vapor lidar measurements. The configuration consists of a stable resonator in rod geometry that is injection seeded by a narrowband diode laser and stabilized by the ramp-and-fire technique. Energy scaling was done in a power amplifier in slab geometry. Both oscillator and amplifier crystal were diode pumped at 806 nm. More than 30 mJ pulse energy at 100 Hz repetition rate with a beam propagation factor of M²<1.4 and pulse duration of 52 ns in single-frequency mode were generated. To our knowledge this is the first direct generation of 935 nm Q-switched pulses from Nd:YGG suitable for water–vapor measurements. The reported results show great promise of this laser in applications where high efficiency and reduced complexity is indispensable, such as for spaceborne or airborne water–vapor lidar instruments.     

增益开关型Ti~(3+):Al_2O_3对激光器的时间特性研究

本文报道增益开关型Ti~(3+) :Al_2O_3激光器输出脉冲的时间特性;给出激光器在宽带输出及调谐工作状态下,输出脉冲的时间特性曲线.实验中获得最小的脉宽为1.2ns.在一定的实验条件下,脉冲宽度可在5～27.5ns范围内连续变化.在调谐状态下,用一输出耦合镜得到波长可调谐范围为730～850nm.用三块棱镜作调谐器,在中心波长780nm处,最大输出能量为4.7mJ,谱线宽度为0.13nm(FWHM).     

新型晶体Nd:S-VAP激光特性研究

测量了 Nd:S-VAP[Nd:Sr₅(VO₄)₃F]晶体的吸收光谱特性,在583.0nm 和809.0nm处有强烈的吸收峰.用可调谐染料激光泵浦实现了低阈值、高效率的激光运转.在透射率15%的平-平腔情况下,斜率效率为50%,阈值2mJ,倍频绿光的中心波长为536.0nm,线宽为1.4nm.采用φ4mm×30mm 的氙灯泵浦,实现了自由运转和染料片调 Q 运转.阈值为130mJ,斜效率为1.3%.测量了不同腔长、不同染料片小信号透射率情况下的输出能量、脉冲宽度以及光束发散角和偏振特性等.     

High-energy single longitudinal mode 1 ns all-solid-state 266 nm lasers

A single longitudinal mode (SLM) short pulse high energy all-solid-state ultraviolet laser is demonstrated in this paper. Through the use of a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) architecture, we have been able to provide high-energy outputs with the combination of short pulses, good beam quality and SLM typically produced by a 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser. The passively Q-switched SLM Nd:YAG laser in a twisted-mode cavity is operated as the seed source. After the seed is amplified by a double-pass pre-amplifier and a single-pass main-amplifier, the 100 μJ, 1064 nm, ∼1 ns seeding pulse was amplified up to 400 mJ energy in the total pulse train. Using a KTP crystal for second-harmonic generation and a CLBO for fourth-harmonic generation, we successfully obtained a short pulse, high energy ultraviolet laser of 266 nm, with the output energy of 108 mJ, pulse width 1 ns and M²<5. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.72.Bj; 42.60.Da     

调Q脉冲保偏光纤激光器的研究

以808nm半导体激光器为抽运源,掺钕双包层保偏光纤为增益介质,对调Q脉冲保偏光纤激光器进行了理论分析和实验研究.利用TDS5104型示波器探测输出脉冲激光的波形,并用光谱分析仪得到输出脉冲激光的光谱图.利用F-P腔型,在1060nm处获得平均功率为2.55W的脉冲激光输出,重复频率为1kHz时,输出单脉冲能量为2.3mJ,峰值功率为4.7kW.改变腔型,把二色镜倾斜放置兼作输出镜,最终获得了平均功率为3.5W的偏振脉冲激光输出,重复频率为1kHz时,输出单脉冲能量为3.3mJ,脉冲宽度为184ns,其峰 关键词： 激光技术 光纤激光器 掺钕保偏光纤 调Q