New efficient laser dye for pulsed and CW operation in the UV

A new laser dye for pulsed and cw operation has been synthesized which can be tuned from 362 nm up to 412 nm. For pulsed excitation with a XeCl excimer laser an energy conversion of 18.5% has been measured at the tuning maximum of the dye; this is the highest efficiency for any known dye in the UV. For cw operation a low laser threshold and a goof efficiency have been observed. The range of tuned cw dye lasers is extended by 30 nm to shorter wavelengths. The dye shows high photochemical stability even at high pump laser power.     

Laser dye DCM: CW,synchronously pumped,cavity pumped and single-frequency performance

Laser dye DCM exhibits a tuning range of 605 to 725 nm with a lasing efficiency as high as 34% when pumped by the 488 nm line of the argon ion laser, placing it among the most efficient and broadly tunable dyes known. Performance of the dye is characterized for four laser systems: 1) continuous wave, 2) synchronously pumped (SP), 3) cavity dumped synchrompously pumped (SPCD) and 4) single-frequency ring dye laser. Pulse peak powers were as high as 520 W and 2.8 kW for SP and SPCD systems respectively.     

High pulse energy output from tunable solid-state dye laser based on MPMMA doped with PM567

Tunable solid-state dye laser sample based on modified polymethyl methacrylate (MPMMA) with methanol co-doped with pyrromethene 567 (PM567) and Coumarin 440 (C440) was prepared. Tunable dye laser output wavelength from 546 to 594 nm was obtained in an oscillator-amplifier configuration. With the input seed laser energy being about 1.5 mJ, the highest dye laser output energy reached 113.9 mJ, and the corresponding conversion slope efficiency was 51.39%. To the best of our knowledge, the tuning range and narrow linewidth dye output energy is the best under the same condition so far. The linewidth for the seed laser and amplified laser were measured with the result of less than 0.2 nm. With the amplified medium being pumped at a repetition rate of 10 Hz with a pulse energy as high as 120 mJ (the fluence was 0.42 J/cm²), the laser output energy dropped to half of its initial value after approximate 43000 pulses.     

New efficient and stable laser dyes for cw operation in the blue and violet spectral region

Sulphonated bis-styryles and triazinyl-stilbenes have been investigated for cw dye laser operation. These promising new classes of laser dyes have proven to be superior to the known coumarins with respect to threshold, slope efficiency and photochemical stability. They shift the short wavelength tuning limit of the cw dye laser down to 403 nm. Broad tuning ranges of more than 4500 cm^-1 and efficiencies up to 20% were found. In contrast to the coumarins these new dyes showed no photochemical degradation even at high pump power levels.     

Spectral behavior and laser activity of 3-(4′-dimethylaminophenyl)-1-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl) prop-2-en-1-one (DMAPrP). A new laser dye

The photophysical properties of DMAPrP have been investigated in different solvents. DMAPrP dye exhibits a large change in dipole-moment upon excitation due to an intramolecular charge transfer interaction. A crystalline solid of DMAPrP give an excimer like emission at 546 nm. The ground and excited state protonation constants of DMAPrP are calculated. DMAPrP acts as good laser dye upon pumping with nitrogen laser in some organic solvents. The laser parameters such as the tuning range, gain coefficient (α), emission cross section (σ_e) and half-life energy (E_1/2) are also calculated. The photoreactivity and net photochemical quantum yield of DMAPrP in chloromethane solvents are also studied.     

Enhanced efficiency and extended wavelength range of dye lasers operated with DCM

It is observed that the efficiency of the DCM dye dissolved in ethylene glycol benzyl alcohol can be enhanced if the dye is preheated at a temperature of 150 °C. Peak powers as high as 1.5 W have been achieved with a single-mode ring dye laser at 640 nm when pumped by 9 W (all lines) from an argon-ion laser. The wavelength region has been also extended beyond both ends of the tuning curve compared to a conventionally prepared DCM dye. Received: 3 September 1999 / Revised version: 9 December 1999 / Published online: 23 February 2000     

Efficient distributed feedback solid state dye laser with a dynamic grating

We present the first operation of a distributed feedback solid state dye laser with a dynamic, pump-induced grating. Broadly tunable, narrow band operation in the region of 616 nm (604–649 nm) has been demonstrated with perylene red laser dye doped in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), when pumped with a frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser. Conversion efficiencies of 20%, corresponding to 35% optical-to-optical efficiency, have been measured. The laser bandwidth was between 0.01 and 0.04 nm, and smooth tuning over more than 200 GHz has been demonstrated. Received: 29 March 1999 / Published online: 24 June 1999     

Generation of tunable picosecond pulses in the medium infrared by down-conversion in AgGaS2

Picosecond pulses from a mode-locked Nd:YAG laser and a traveling-wave dye laser are mixed in an AgGaS₂ crystal to generate pulses at the difference frequency. The dye laser is tunable between 1200 nm and 1460 nm resulting in a tuning range of the parametric pulses from 3.9 μm to 9.4 μm. The spectral bandwidth is quite narrow. A value of Δ?=6.5 cm^-1 was measured which is constant over the whole tuning range. Several percent of the Nd:YAG laser photons are converted to infrared photons. Pump pulses of 21 ps give parametric pulses of 8 ps.     

Photophysical parameters and laser performance of 3-(4′-dimethylaminophenyl)-1-(2-furanyl)prop-2-en-1-one (DMAFP): A new laser dye

The spectral properties such as singlet absorption, molar absorptivity, emission spectra, fluorescence quantum yield and excited state lifetime of 3-(4′-dimethylaminophenyl)-1-(2-furanyl)prop-2-en-1-one (DMAFP) have been determined in different solvents. DMAFP dye exhibits a large red shift in both electronic absorption and emission spectra as the solvent polarity increases, indicating a large change in the dipole moment of molecules upon excitation. A crystalline solid of DMAFP gives an excimer like emission at 566 nm due to the excitation of molecular aggregates. This is expected from the idealized crystal structure of the dye that belongs to the B-type class of Steven's classification. The ground and excited state protonation constants of DMAFP are calculated and amounted to 1.71 and 8.3, respectively. DMAFP acts as a good laser dye upon pumping with nitrogen laser (λ_ex=337.1 nm) in chloroform, methylene chloride and dioxane and gives laser emission in the range 460–590 nm. The laser parameters such as the tuning range, gain coefficient (α), emission cross section (σ_e) and half-life energy (E_1/2) are calculated. The photoreactivity and net photochemical quantum yield of DMAFP in chloromethane solvents are also studied.     

Tunable picosecond transient stimulated Raman scattering in ethanol

Transient stimulated Raman scattering (TSRS) of picosecond dye laser pulses in ethanol has been investigated experimentally. In particular some temporal features of TSRS from the C-H stretching mode (2928 cm^-1) in ethanol have been studied with a Photochron II streak camera with subpicosecond time resolution. It is shown that the use of TSRS provides a simple method for producing picosecond pulses tunable over the spectral region ≈492–532 nm and 691–772 nm by tuning a passively mode-locked Rhodamine 6G dye laser from 575–630 nm.     

Spectral characteristics of PM-597 and DCM mixture in a commercial laser

We reported the performance of binary mixture—dyes PM-597 and DCM, in a 10-Hz, Nd:YAG-pumped dye-laser system. The mixture-dyes demonstrated broader and more efficient tuning curves compared with those of Rhodamine 590 and DCM. The mixture dyes provide peak conversion efficiencies of 36% at 618 nm. Also by adding SHG, the mixture dyes provide high and stable laser intensity near 308 nm, which used for degenerate four wave mixing (DFWM) studies of OH in combustion diagnostics. This enhanced efficiency should improve the signal-to-noise ratio in multi-spices DFWM measurements with the continuous tuning dye laser.     

A frequency doubled pressure-tunable oscillator—amplifier dye laser system

A tunable, high repitition rate oscillator—amplifier dye laser system is reported. The dye laser described was longitudinally pumped with the second harmonic of a Nd—Yag laser operating at 10 Hz. Using three Fabry-Perot etalons and pressure tuning, a maximum fundamental output power of ?6 MW with a corresponding spectral width of less than 0.003 nm at 564 nm was obtained. The fundamental at 564 nm was frequency doubled to give a maximum power level of 0.6 MW of second harmonic output power with a spectral width of less than 0.0015 nm at 282 nm. Frequency stability could be maintained to within ?15% of the line-width.     

A non-mixing technique for enhancement of the tuning range of Rhodamine 6G using Rhodamine B

An optical scheme for extension of spectral tuning range of Rhodamine 6G by Rhodamine B is reported. The dye solutions are kept separately in a specially designed coupled resonator. The tuning range of Rhodamine 6G dye laser is extended from 564–609 to 564–645 nm.     

A microchip-laser-pumped DFB-polymer-dye laser

A miniaturized, high repetition rate, picosecond all solid state photo-induced distributed feedback (DFB) polymer-dye laser is described by applying a passively Q-switched and frequency-doubled Cr⁴⁺:Nd³⁺:YAG-microchip laser (pulse width Δτ=540 ps, repetition rate ν=3 kHz, pump energy E_pump=0.15 μJ) as a pump source. A poly-methylmethacrylate film doped with rhodamine B dye serves as active medium. The DFB-laser pulses are temporally and spectrally characterized, and the stability of the thin polymer/dye film at high repetition rates is analyzed. The shortest DFB-laser pulses obtained have a duration of 11 ps. After the emission of 350000 pulses the intensity of the DFB-laser output has decreased by a factor of two and the pulse duration has increased by a factor of 1.2. For single DFB-laser pulses of 20-ps duration the spectral bandwidth is measured to be Δλ=0.03 nm, which is only 0.005 nm above the calculated Fourier limit assuming a Gaussian profile for the temporal shape of the pulses. Coarse wavelength tuning of the DFB laser between 590 and 619 nm is done by turning the prism. Additionally, a fine tuning of the DFB-polymer-laser wavelength is achieved by changing the temperature of the polymer/dye layer (=-0.05 nm/°C) in the range from 20 to 40 °C. Received: 1 March 2001 / Revised version: 23 May 2001 / Published online: 18 July 2001     

Narrow linewidth,tunable dye laser by multiple-prism beam expander

12 mJ, 10-Hz green pulses from frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser was used for pumping Rhodamine 6G in a dye laser based on multiple-prism beam expander. In order to increase the stability of the output pulse, a unique dye cell with variable dimensions of active medium was designed and constructed. By using multiple-prism dispersion theory, conditions for zero-dispersion in two and four-prism beam expander configuration was calculated. In the case of two-prism configuration, tuning range of dye laser was 565–595 nm and the linewidth of pulse at 580 nm was about 1.8 nm and it is in good agreement with the calculated amount of 1.6 nm. Furthermore, using four-prism configuration tuning range of 570–585 nm was measured and the linewidth of output pulse at 575 nm was reduced up to 0.33 nm. This value may be further improved up to 0.22 nm according these calculations. In this arrangement, creation of parasitic modes, aberration in two dimensions and most of the alignment problems with the lens telescopes were resolved.     

在BBO晶体中获得271—281.5nm和频输出

本文用自制的Q-YAG的倍频光泵浦Rh·6G染料,用调谐的染料激光束(562—598nm)与YAG的倍频光束在B-BaB2O4(BBO)晶体中和频,获得的连续可调谐范围是271-281.5nm,和频输出能量大子200μJ,最高转换效率为5%.我们用陈创天等人和K.Kato所给BB0晶体的Sellmetier方程计算了和频调谐曲线,它们之间的相位匹配角大约有一度之差.实验曲线与两条理论曲线都有不同程度的偏差.但是,与K.Kato的理论曲线更为接近.我们还讨论了BBO晶体的长度对输出能量的影响,并解释了产生这种影响的原因。     

CW dye laser operation at 200 W pump power

A continuously operating jet stream dye laser was pumped by a multiwavelength-multimode argon-ion-laser with a pump power up to 200 W. Rhodamine 6G-chloride was dissolved in a water-polyvinylalcohol-ammonyx solution. The dye laser was prism-tunable between 560 and 650 nm with maximum output power at 600 nm. The maximum output power of the cw dye laser was 43 W without tuning element and 33 W with a prism placed inside the cavity. Operation of a jet stream dye laser with a pump power higher than 200 W and an efficiency of about 30% seems to be possible.     

Comparative laser performances of pyrromethene 567 and rhodamine 6G dyes in copper vapour laser pumped dye lasers

Narrowband laser performances and photochemical stability of alcoholic solutions of pyrromethene 567 and rhodamine 6G dyes, under high-repetition rate copper vapour laser (at 510 nm), as well as, high-peak intensity Nd:YAG laser (at 532 nm) excitation have been investigated. We have observed that pyrromethene 567 dye solutions offer higher efficiency, wider tuning range, but lower photochemical stability and higher lasing threshold than that of rhodamine 6G dye solutions. An addition of about 100 mM DABCO, as a singlet oxygen quencher, in pyrromethene 567 dye solutions improved its photochemical stability close to that of rhodamine 6G. The observation of higher slope efficiency, in spite of higher threshold pump energy for pyrromethene 567 dye than that of rhodamine 6G dye solutions, was explained by a predictive model on gain characteristics of both dye solutions as a function of pump energy. PACS 42.55.Mv; 42.55.Rz; 42.70.Hj; 42.70.Jk     

Tuning ranges of 355 nm pumped dyes from 410 to 715 nm

Wavelength tuning ranges and optimal concentrations are reported for 16 commercially available laser dyes pumped with the third harmonic of a Nd-YAG laser at 355 nm. The laser dye outputs cover the visible range from 410 to 715 nm.     

Tunable narrow linewidth laser output from PM567 doped nematic liquid crystal under holographic pumping

LC cell injected the mixture of dye pyrromethene 567 (PM567) and nematic liquid crystal (NLC) by capillary action was prepared. Holographic pumping with a Nd:YAG laser (532 nm, 1 Hz, 10 ns) to form gain distributed feedback in the cell, tunable laser output from the cell was investigated. Through changing the intersection angles of the two coherent light beams from 46° to 50°, the tuning range we obtained is about 37 nm (550–587 nm). Additionally, the FWHM of the laser under such experimental setup was less than 0.1 nm even without the resonant cavity, and the threshold of the laser was about 26 μJ, which was very low as we known.