Change in laser-induced fluorescence spectra of sea water during degradation of dissolved organic matter

We present the results of measurement of the laser-induced fluorescence spectra of sea water under laboratory conditions. We show that during phytoplankton cell death caused by heating of sea water samples, the fluorescence intensity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) increases. We observe different behaviors of the fluorescence intensity for excitation by 2nd harmonic (532 nm) and 3rd harmonic (355 nm) emission from a Nd:YAG laser during degradation of dissolved organic matter. In the first case, a monotonic decrease in the DOM₅₃₂ fluorescence intensity occurs, while in the second case the fluorescence intensity remains constant. We give a possible explanation for such behavior of the DOM fluorescence intensity. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 1, pp. 103–107, January–February, 2007.     

Upconversion due to energy transfer involving Pr<Superscript>3+</Superscript> ions in pairs

Upconversion luminescence in triply ionized praseodymium-doped TeO₂–Li₂O glass using excitation at ∼590 nm into the ¹D₂ level from a dye laser pumped with the second harmonic of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser has been reported. The mechanism involved in the upconversion emission observed at ∼480 nm indicates that the most important contribution is energy transfer among praseodymium ions in pairs followed by the dipole–dipole interaction. The rate-equation model for the emission at ∼480 nm that provides direct information to determine the energy-transfer rates containing the pair of states involved in the upconversion process has been explored.     

Generation of coherent tunable deep UV radiation for detection and absorption studies of explosives RDX and TNT

We report a technique for the efficient generation of tunable coherent deep UV radiation and its application in studies of RDX and TNT at the ppm level on the basis of their absorption characteristics. The obtained experimental absorption data are compared with conventional spectrophotometric data. The UV radiation in the range 200–260 nm has been generated by the type-I noncollinear third harmonic of the dye laser radiation (600–700 nm) and also by sum frequency mixing (SFM) of Nd:YAG output (1064 nm) with the second harmonic of the dye laser in β-barium borate (BBO) crystal. The maximum conversion efficiency of the generated signal is estimated to be 57.5% at λ = 218.9 nm wavelength. Apart from measurements of the absorbance of RDX and TNT at different concentrations in their respective solutions, the minimum detection concentrations have also been ascertained. The estimated minimum detectable concentration of RDX is 8.47·10⁻⁹ M, whereas that for TNT is 35.7·10⁻⁹ M. The data were obtained using only ∼100 μJ/pulse of laser energy. Published in Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 6, pp. 516–521, July–August, 2007.     

Quantitative studies of copper plasma using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

In the present work, we present the spatial evolution of the copper plasma produced by the fundamental harmonic (1064 nm) and second harmonic (532 nm) of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The experimentally observed line profiles of neutral copper have been used to extract the electron temperature using the Boltzmann plot method, whereas, the electron number density has been determined from the Stark broadening. Besides we have studied the variation of electron temperature and electron number density as a function of laser energy at atmospheric pressure. The Cu I lines at 333.78, 406.26, 465.11 and 515.32 nm are used for the determination of electron temperature. The relative uncertainty in the determination of electron temperature is ≈10%. The electron temperature calculated for the fundamental harmonic (1064 nm) of Nd:YAG laser is 10500–15600 K, and that for the second harmonic (532 nm) of Nd:YAG laser is 11500–14700 K at a Q Switch delay of 40 μs. The electron temperature has also been calculated as a function of laser energy from the target surface for both modes of the laser. We have also studied the spatial behavior of the electron number density in the plume. The electron number densities close to the target surface (0.05 mm), in the case of fundamental harmonic (1064 nm) of Nd:YAG laser having pulse energy 135 mJ and second harmonic (532 nm) of Nd:YAG laser with pulse energy 80 mJ are 2.50×10¹⁶ and 2.60×10¹⁶ cm⁻³, respectively.     

Diagnostics of a Potassium Plasma Produced by Visible and IR Nanosecond Laser Ablation

We present spectroscopic emission studies of a laser-produced potassium plasma generated by the fundamental mode (1064 nm) and the second harmonic (532 nm) of a Q-switched pulsed Nd:YAG laser. The spectra predominantly reveal the spectral lines of neutral potassium. We use experimentally observed line profiles of neutral potassium to determine the excitation temperature using Boltzmann plots, and the Stark-broadened line profiles to determine the electron-number density. We also study variations in the excitation temperature and electron-number density as functions of the laser irradiance.     

Laser-induced fluorescence of estrogens

Spectra of the laser-induced fluorescence of estrogens—estradiol, estriol, and estrone—were measured under excitation by the fourth harmonic (λ=266 nm) of a Nd:YAG laser. Quantum yields of the fluorescence were evaluated by the relative technique to be 0.107 for estradiol, 0.116 for estriol, and 0.0052 for estrone. The water solution of tryptophan is used as the standard.     

水体溶解有机物的激光诱导荧光与浊度的激光散射实验研究

以Nd：YAG的二倍频532 nm激光为激发光源,用激光诱导荧光(LIF)方法对几种不同水体中溶解有机物(DOM)和叶绿素a(Chl-a)的荧光光谱进行了测量和分析;并以水体对532 nm激发光的散射进行了水体浊度特性的研究,给出了散射光强度与浊度的关系曲线;研究结果表明,用此种方法测量水体浊度和污染物浓度可对水体质量进行有效的监测。     

Highly efficient deep ultraviolet generation by sum-frequency mixing in a BBO crystal pair

Generation of deep ultraviolet radiation at 210 nm by Type-I third harmonic generation is achieved in a pair of BBO crystals with conversion efficiency as high as 36%. The fundamental source is the dye laser radiation pumped by the second harmonic of a Q-switched Nd: YAG laser. A walk-off compensated configuration with the BBO crystal pair has enabled us to realize such a high conversion efficiency in the interaction.     

饱和激发下叶绿素荧光非线性变化及影响分析

叶绿素浓度是海洋初级生产力的重要指标之一,激光诱导荧光技术可以实现海水叶绿素浓度的快速测量。测量叶绿素浓度的传统激光诱导荧光原理,是利用叶绿素荧光与水体Raman散射的强度比值（I_F/R）进行反演,即叶绿素浓度n_chl＝CI_F/R,其中C为系统常量。这是依据叶绿素荧光685 nm、水体Raman散射强度都与激发光强呈线性关系。然而,该理论并没有考虑诱导荧光饱和现象的存在。当诱导激光强度达到一定程度后,685 nm荧光强度随激发光强非线性变化。另外,值得注意的是,水体Raman散射并不存在信号饱和现象。为了探讨饱和激发造成荧光非线性变化的影响,在激光诱导荧光技术测量叶绿素浓度的实验中,设计两种测量方案,即：不同激光功率诱导单一浓度样本的荧光测量,和固定激光功率时不同浓度样本的荧光测量。实验中利用Nd∶YAG三倍频激光355 nm激发获得叶绿素溶液的404 nm处 Raman散射和685 nm荧光。实验结果分为2部分进行讨论：（1）为了分析饱和激发造成荧光变化的非线性特性,通过调节激发光功率测量溶液的受激发射光谱,发现水体Raman散射强度与激发光强呈线性关系,而685 nm荧光强度出现饱和激发下的非线性变化。而且,随叶绿素浓度的增加,685 nm荧光的非线性趋势更为明显,Raman散射强度与激发光强的线性关系中斜率变小。数据分析表明,685 nm荧光数据拟合的4阶多项式和Raman散射效率值,可以定性地表征685 nm荧光的饱和程度。（2）考虑实际海洋激光雷达探测叶绿素浓度应用中存在饱和激发荧光非线性现象,为了分析荧光非线性对传统叶绿素浓度反演理论适用性的影响,在固定激发光强情况下对不同浓度叶绿素溶液的发射光谱进行测量。将激发光功率调节至52.00,80.70,132.10和197.30 mW·cm-2,获取相应激发光强下685 nm荧光与水体Raman散射的强度比值和叶绿素浓度之间的关系。实验表明,激发光强不变的情况下,685 nm荧光与水体Raman散射的强度比值,与叶绿素浓度仍满足线性关系。但是,在较高光强激发时,饱和激发造成的叶绿素荧光非线性变化,导致利用传统激光诱导荧光理论反演的叶绿素浓度值偏小。因此,需要对饱和激发下荧光非线性的影响进行修正,其关系为I_F/R=n_chl/C+C_F,修正值C_F不可忽略。另外,值得一提的是,修正关系中系统常量C随激发光强增加而增大。研究表明,饱和激发造成的荧光非线性,会对激光诱导荧光技术测量叶绿素浓度产生影响,但由于造成荧光非线性因素的复杂性,仅通过荧光数据拟合获得的多项式,无法定量说明其影响权重。然而,当激发光强不变时,可以实验测量获得基于激光诱导荧光原理的修正关系,从而准确反演叶绿素浓度。     

Laser photolysis as applied to the determination of the two-photon absorption cross section of <Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis>-stilbene

The two-photon absorption (TPA) cross section of an ethanol solution of trans-stilbene exposed to radiation of the second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser (532 nm) of nanosecond duration has been determined using the method based on the measurement of the photodecomposition of trans-stilbene molecules, characterized by a low photostability. The measured TPA cross section of trans-stilbene in ethanol amounts to 25 ± 5 GM, and the photodecomposition quantum yield determined upon excitation by radiation of the fourth harmonic of the Nd:YAG laser (266 nm) is found to be γ = 0.10 ± 0.01. The obtained value of the TPA cross section has been compared with the experimental and theoretical data of other authors. The method of photodecomposition can be successfully used for the experimental determination of the TPA cross section of compounds unstable under the photoexcitation such as photochromic molecules, biological objects, and radical photoinitiators.     

1064 nm Nd:YAG laser intracavity pumped at 946 nm

We present for the first time a Nd:YAG laser emitting at 1064 nm intracavity pumped by a 946 nm diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser. A 885 nm laser diode is used to pump the first Nd:YAG crystal emitting at 946 nm, and the second Nd:YAG laser emitting at 1064 nm intracavity pumped at 946 nm. We achieved an output power of 7.97 W at 1064 nm for an absorbed pump power at 946 nm of 9.55 W, corresponding to an optical efficiency of 83.4%. The beam quality M² quality factor is about 1.1 at the maximum output power.     

Single-frequency laser at 473 nm by use of twisted-mode technique

We experimentally demonstrate an all solid-state laser producing single-frequency output at 473 nm. Spatial gain hole-burning in the gain material has been eliminated by use of twisted-mode cavity approach. By carefully designing, a Z-cavity with two beam waists is chosen to provide the optimum beam radius in the gain medium Nd:YAG and second harmonic generation crystal LBO. A total output power of 85 mW was achieved, when the laser was diode-end-pumped at an incident power of 3.5 W, the light–light conversion efficiency is up to 2.4%.     

Stimulated Raman scattering in light and heavy water under picosecond laser excitation

The spectra of stimulated Raman scattering in ordinary and heavy water under excitation by second harmonic of a picosecond Nd:YAG laser were compared. It was shown that when stimulated Raman scattering is excited in water in cavities of a photonic crystal (synthetic opal matrix constructed of silica nanoglobules) or a photonic glass in the form of close-packed monodimensional millimeter-size amorphous-quartz balls, the efficiency of stimulated Raman scattering increases significantly compared to a uniform liquid medium.     

Development of an optical parametric generator with pulsed dye amplification for high-resolution laser spectroscopy

An injection-seeded optical parametric generator (OPG), coupled with three pulsed dye amplification (PDA) stages, was shown to produce tunable, narrow linewidth laser radiation. The OPG was composed of a pair of beta barium borate (β-BBO) crystals and pumped by the third harmonic (355 nm) output of a seeded Nd:YAG laser. The OPG was injection-seeded at the idler wavelength (824 nm) using an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) with a mode-hop-free tuning range of 20 GHz. Using the PDA stages, the OPG output signal (624 nm) was amplified to 19 mJ/pulse, while maintaining a spectral linewidth of approximately 160 MHz at full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) which was within a factor of 2 of the Fourier limit. A system of lenses and apertures was used to minimize amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) in the PDA stages. Using the OPG/PDA system, two-photon laser-induced fluorescence measurements of atomic oxygen were performed by sum-frequency-mixing the 624-nm beam with the third harmonic output of the seeded Nd:YAG laser to generate approximately 1 mJ/pulse of ultraviolet radiation near 226 nm. Voigt line shapes were found to be in good agreement with oxygen atom spectra in atmospheric-pressure, laminar, counter-flow flames; the magnitude of Doppler and collisional broadening was approximately the same. The measured O-atom concentration profile was found to compare well with that calculated using an opposed-flow flame code.     

High-power,blue-light generation in a dual-structure,periodically poled,stoichiometric LiTaO<Subscript>3</Subscript> crystal

High-power blue light was generated from a diode-side-pumped Q-switched 1319 nm Nd:YAG laser with a periodically poled, stoichiometric LiTaO₃ (PPSLT) crystal. The PPSLT sample used in this experiment consists of two segments in series: the first segment has a period of 14.08 μm for the second harmonic generation (SHG) and the second segment has periods of around 4.6 μm for the generation of blue light by mixing fundamental and SH. An average power of 466 mW of a 440 nm blue light was obtained at the fundamental power of ∼5.4 W with a conversion efficiency of 8.6%. The output power fluctuated by 3% over a half-hour period. This result indicates that our scheme is a practical method to construct a reliable compact blue laser. PACS 42.70.Mp; 42.79.Nv; 42.55.Xi     

Laser from external energy transfer of MEH–PPV conjugated polymer

Mixtures made of poly[2-methyl-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH–PPV) conducting polymer and cresyl violet 670 have been utilized for studying the amplified spontaneous emission characteristics (ASE) in an organic solution under laser excitation. In our earlier communication, we had shown that MEH–PPV alone could produce ASE under pulsed Nd: YAG laser excitation only in its excimeric state. In a follow up study reported here, a mixture of MEH–PPV and cresyl violet in benzene at different ratios were prepared. The results showed that when the mixture was pumped by the third harmonic of Nd: YAG (355 nm), MEH–PPV as a part of the mixture could get excited by pump laser pulse excitation, and transfer its excitation energy externally to cresyl violet to produce ASE. However, MEH–PPV represents here as a donor while CV served as an acceptor.     

Completely solid-state LD-side-pumped Nd:YAlO<Subscript>3</Subscript> CW blue laser with intracavity frequency tripling

We report a completely solid-state continuous-wave (CW) blue laser operating at 447 nm utilizing intracavity frequency tripling of an LD-side-pumped Nd:YAlO₃ (Nd:YAP) laser operating at 1341.4 nm. An LBO crystal with type-I critical phase matching and a KTP crystal with type-II critical phase matching (CTM) were used for the second harmonic generation (SHG) and the third harmonic generation (THG), respectively. In view of the analysis of the cavity stability, a four-mirror folded cavity was designed and the output characteristics were theoretically analyzed. Experimental characteristics obtained were shown to be in agreement with the theoretical analysis. The maximum output power of the 447 nm CW blue laser reached 114 mW, which corresponds to a red-to-blue conversion efficiency of 9%.     

水体中溶解有机物的荧光光谱特性分析

以355 nm激光为激发光源,在实验室中利用激光诱导荧光(LIF)方法对不同水体中溶解有机物(DOM)的荧光光谱进行了测量,并以最小二乘法-高斯拟合对水体荧光光谱进行了拟合,解卷积得出了水喇曼散射谱及DOM的荧光光谱.在改变激发光脉冲强度的条件下,以一定浓度腐殖酸溶液为测量样品分析了DOM的荧光饱和特性.结果表明,随着激发光功率密度的增加,水喇曼散射强度线性增加,而DOM的荧光强度随着激发光功率密度的增加先是线性增加,此时归一化荧光强度为一恒定值.当激发光功率密度大于55 mW/cm2时, 荧光强度增加缓慢,归一化荧光强度则逐渐降低.研究发现,在有机物浓度较高时,出现了激发态分子间的单重态-单重态猝灭,并且在低浓度情况下,随着有机物浓度的增加,出现了有机物荧光峰值强度位置的红移并伴有波形的展宽.     

Generation of ultraviolet radiation with wide angular tolerance in cesium lithium borate crystal

Tangential phase-matching has been realised in cesium lithium borate (CLBO) crystal for the first time for the generation of fourth harmonic (266 nm) of Nd:YAG and third harmonic (226.7 nm) of a dye laser radiation by second harmonic generation and sum-frequency mixing with the angular tolerance as large as 22 mrad and 21 mrad respectively, over one of the interacting beams. An energy conversion efficiency of 15% for fourth harmonic generation is obtained with a 5.5 mm thick crystal and with the average pump powers only 170 and 70 mW. A set of Sellmeier dispersion equations for the CLBO crystal have also been formulated.