Two color oscillations of TE-CO2 laser and applications to two photon process of optically pumped FIR laser

We have developed the resonance system which is able to operate a TE-CO₂ discharge tube in two color emission source. The two color source is excellent in pumping efficiency, spacial overlap and time synchronization of the two emission CO₂ lines.We indicate that the competitive operation of the two emissions is well explained by a simple model.When a TE-CO₂ laser operates at the total pressure of below half atmospheric pressure, we make clear in this work that the operation of a TE-CO₂ laser forms depression like hole burning, with regards to the J of the upper laser level by J-J collisional relaxation during the laser emission.As an example of the two-photon source, two-photon pumping of NH₃ and FIR emissions are given in this paper.     

Optically pumped submillimeter laser lines from CH2F2 and CD2Cl2 using a12C18O2 CW laser

Thirty-nine new submillimetre laser lines in CH₂F₂ and twelve in CD₂Cl₂ have been obtained in a Fabry-Perot FIR resonator by optically pumping with a CW¹²C¹⁸O₂ laser. The wavelength range obtained for CH₂F₂ is 126m to 1091m and for CD₂Cl₂ 212m to 774m. The wavelength measurements are accurate to within 5.10^–3. The relative polarisations of the pump laser and the FIR laser output were also determined. Tentative assignments of the IR and FIR transitions were made using existing microwave data.     

New CW FIR laser lines obtained in ammonia pumped by a CO2 laser, using the Stark tuning method

We report fifty seven CW FIR emissions observed in NH₃, by resonant pumping with a CO₂ laser. Exact coincidences between IR absorption lines of the gas and emission lines of the CO₂ laser have been carried out by Stark tuning. IR frequency shifts, up to 30 GHz, have allowed the pumping of forty three NH₃ transitions.These FIR emissions correspond to thirty one different wavelengths in the 50–400 m range; eighteen ones of them are new emitted wavelengths by pumping with the CO₂ laser.     

Optoacoustic Laser Stark spectroscopy and FIR laser action on CH3Br using a waveguide CO2 laser

The optoacoustic spectrum of CH₃Br around 10 m band lines of a tunable cw waveguide CO₂ laser is investigated. Several new infrared absorptions are observed and most of the correspond ing molecular transitions are assigned. Far infra red laser action is reported by pumping with the same CO₂ laser: pump offsets are given using the Transferred Lambs dip (TLD) technique. A new FIR laser emission is obtained and assigned. An optoacoustic Laser Stark spectroscopy technique is used to investigate off resonance infrared tran sitions.     

Characteristics of a far-infrared molecular laser optically pumped by a high-power CO2 laser

A molecular far-infrared (FIR) laser optically pumped by a high-power CO₂ laser, which is a powerful source for testing detectors and mixers and for FIR spectroscopy, is constructed and the performance is examined through experiments. At frequencies between 580GHz and 4.25THz, FIR output power is more than 2030m W by pumping power of 3581W. Amplitude stability of ±3% is obtained at 100m W output at 2.52THz for over 30 minutes when the FIR tube is cooled at 5°C by a chiller.As an application to testing mixers, FIR laser lines up to 4.25 THz are detected by Schottky barrier diodes (SBD). Further, using a SBD, performance of absolute frequency stability at 693GHz of HCOOH oscillation is measured by harmonic mixing with a 115.5GHz millimeter wave from a phase-locked Gunn oscillator. The resultant center-frequency stability is 100kHz per 10 minutes.     

R branch tuning characteristics of the13CH3F Raman FIR laser

Summary We described a¹³CH₃F Raman laser pumped by a grating tuned 20 atmospheres CO₂ laser. The emission characteristics of the¹³CH₃F laser extends from 14 cm^–1–35 cm^–1 and from 49 cm^–1–72 cm^–1; about 65% of these frequency ranges can be covered with tunable radiation. The characteristics shows a strong dependence on the rotaional quantum numbers of the states involved in the Raman laser transitions and, within each tuning interval, on the frequency offset with respect to the frequencies of resonant transitions. We obtained, at 51 cm^–1, a maximum FIR laser pulse energy of about 800 J (at a pump energy of 200 mJ), corresponding to a photon conversion of about 8%. In some cases we have observed simultaneous emission at a Raman and a cascade frequency. In addition, FIR emission power dependence on¹³CH₃F gas pressure and pump pulse power were investigated for different J quantum numbers.     

Tuning characteristics of a high pressure CO2 laser pumped CH3F Raman laser

Conclusion We described a CH₃F Raman laser pumped by a two stage 20 atmospheres CO₂ laser. The emission spectrum of the CH₃F laser at 11 Torr extends from 23 cm^–1 to 45 cm^–1 when the CO₂ laser is scanned over the 9R emission branch at a fixed pump power of 180 mJ. The emission spectrum shows a strong structure with large parts where the FIR energy decreases to zero. This fact makes the use of such a laser for spectroscopic scanning experiments in the FIR difficult. The laser is, however, very suited for working at fixed but adjustable FIR frequencies. The pulse energy in the maxima of the emission characteristics at a pump energy of 180 mJ exceeds 300 J, which corresponds a photon conversion coefficient of more than 6%.     

New far-infrared laser lines produced by resonant Q-branch-pumping of CH3F

Conclusion We showed that by pumping the ₃-Q-branch of CH₃F using the 9P-branch radiation produced by a continuously tunable 20 atmospheres CO₂ laser all Q-branch transitions with quantum number 5J28 can be pumped. From the 23 laser lines with frequencies from 10 cm^–1 to 47 cm^–1, 13 were detected for the first time. The optimum operating pressure for the FIR laser was 11 Torr.     

Diode laser spectroscopy of CO2 at 790 nm

Absorption lines of ¹²C¹⁶O₂ have been examined by using a tunable diode laser spectrometer in the region around (790 nm). The spectrometer sources are commercially available double heterostructure InGaAlAs tunable diode lasers (TDLs) operating in the “free-running” mode, which allowed the detection of the line positions within . The observed carbon dioxide absorption lines belong to the combination overtone 2ν₂+5ν₃ ro-vibrational band with intensities ranging around .     

New FIR laser lines from an optically pumped far-infrared laser with isotopic 13C16O2 pumping

A ¹³C¹⁶O₂ laser optically pumping a FIR laser has resulted in 17 new FIR cw emissions from 78.5 μm to 917 μm. The FIR media were: CD₃OD, CH₃OD, CD₃OH, NH₃ and ¹⁵NH₃. Interesting effects have been observed with a combination of NH₃ and CD₃OD resulting in a new FIR emission. Two new FIR emissions at 181.5 μm and 355.5 μm have been observed with a ¹²C¹⁶O₂ laser optically pumping CD₃OD.     

Infrared and far-infrared laser emissions from a TE CO2 laser pumped NH3 gas

In this paper, infrared (IR) and far-infrared (FIR) laser emissions from a TE CO₂ laser pumped NH₃ gas are reported. 8 IR laser emissions near the wavelength of 12 μm were observed by using 4 different CO₂ laser lines for the pumping. 3 IR laser emissions in P-branch of vibrational-rotational band (ν₂ → G) oscillated simultaneously in two pumping cases, i.e. pumping with the R(30) or R(16) line of 9.4 μm band from the CO₂ laser. 26 FIR laser emissions (26.45 μm ～ 281.0 μm) were observed by using 12 different CO₂ laser lines, and the 10 FIR emissions of them may be new laser emissions as far as we know.     

Synchronisation effects in broadband FIR raman scattering in NH3

By using a short pulse broad band (2 GHz) CO₂ laser around a single well detuned line (15 GHz), it is possible to analyse, with sub-ns resolution, the dynamics of a broadband FIR Raman scattering. When the Raman gain is large, well modulated ns emissions are detected also for resonant lines. Generally the pseudo cavity effects, are always present. They have important effects on the gain, in particular an aligned input window has a large positive effect on the Raman gain and on the generation of mode-locked FIR forward emissions     

High power FIR NH3 laser using a folded resonator

A compact FIR laser cavity having a couple of folding mirrors was designed. By inserting this FIR cavity into the pump TE CO₂ laser resonator, we observed 19 FIR NH₃ laser lines of which 4 new lines were included. The maximum output power was over 500 W at 90 m.     

Single line high efficiency tunable fir generation by resonant four-wave mixing in CH3 pumped by a multiatmosphere tunable CO2 laser

By pumping CH₃F with a high pressure tunable TE-CO₂ laser, the resonant four-wave mixing process (RFWM) generates a very efficient tunable single line FIR emission at the Raman frequency. This result is strictly related to the spectroscopic structure of the CH₃F molecule. By means of this process, a tunable FIR emission on a 0.1 cm^–1 bandwidth 150 kW (8 mJ) single line, is obtained which can be used for many FIR multiphoton applications.     

Reinvestigation of far-infrared laser emissions from hydrazine and deuterated isotopes of difluoromethane and methanol

Hydrazine (N₂H₄) and the deuterated isotopes of difluoromethane (CD₂F₂) and methanol (CH₃OD and CD₃OH) have been reinvestigated as sources of far-infrared (FIR) laser emissions using an optically pumped molecular laser system designed for wavelengths below 150 microns. With this system, seven FIR laser emissions from optically pumped N₂H₄, CH₃OD and CD₃OH were discovered with wavelengths ranging from 54.0 to 185.0 m. In addition, the polarizations of eight previously observed laser emissions from optically pumped N₂H₄, CH₃OD and CD₂F₂ were measured for the first time. All laser emissions are reported with their operating pressures, relative polarizations and wavelengths, measured to ±0.5 m. The effectiveness of this particular system in generating short-wavelength laser emissions has been further demonstrated by the improvement in output power observed from nine known FIR laser emissions. PACS 07.57.Hm; 42.55.Lt     

P-branch operation of CD3F and CH3F Raman FIR lasers

Multi-kolowatt pulses with limited wavelength tunability have been produced in several bands between 186 and 817 m by pumping v3 P-branch transitions in¹²CH₃F and¹²CD₃F with the 10.6 m band of a ten-atmosphere CO₂ laser. The FIR emissions are all restricted to the immediate neighborhood of the resonances associated with successive J-numbers, but there is some evidence that additional off-resonant emission could be produced with stronger pumping. The optimum operating pressure for the various molecule/J-number combinations range from 7 to 75 torr and increase rapidly with increasing J-number.     

Acoustooptic extension of the frequency tunability of CW CO2 lasers: New FIR lasers emissions from CH3OH and13CH3OH

We have increased the frequency tunability of our CW waveguide CO₂ lasers by means of an acoustooptic amplitude modulator, operating at the fixed frequency of 90 MHz. The up-shifted, or down-shifted, laser optical sideband can be generated independently by adjusting the orientation of the modulator. The efficiency is larger than 50%. The frequency tunability of the CO₂ laser around each laser line is thus increased by 180 MHz. To demonstrate the possibilities of this method, a source composed of the above modulator and of a CW, 300 MHz tunable waveguide CO₂ laser has been used for the search of new large offset FIR laser lines from optically pumped CH₃OH and¹³CH₃OH molecules. As a result 15 and 10 new large offset laser lines were discovered respectively. New assignments of some laser lines are also proposed. We have also measured the Stark effect, the offset, and the polarization of other already known lines. In particular a Stark effect frequency tuning of about 1 GHz is demonstrated for a laser line at 208.399 m.     

Near infrared to red and yellow to blue upconversion emissions from Pr: ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-YF3-AlF3-NaF glasses

This paper describes the development and a detailed analysis carried out on the luminescence characteristics of Pr³⁺ doped ZrF₄-BaF₂-LaF₃-YF₃-AlF₃-NaF glasses. In the present work our objectives are to elucidate the possible mechanisms that are responsible for NIR to red upconversion process and yellow to blue upconversion emission in terms of energy level schemes from the praseodymium containing fibre optical glass composition. We have studied their different physical and optical properties. Besides our investigation on the upconversion emission of these glasses, normal fluorescence studies have also been undertaken in explaining the mechanisms in demonstrating bright red and blue emissions upon excitations at visible and UV wavelengths. Besides these measurements works, a bright blue colour emission was observed under an UV source and upconverted prominent red emissions were observed with a laser diode (LD of ). Similarly under a yellow light source, a blue colour emission was observed from these praseodymium glasses studied.     

Frequency Measurements of Optically Pumped Laser Emissions from the CHD2OH Methanol Isotope

A threelaser heterodyne system was used to measure the frequencies of eleven optically pumped laser emissions from CHD₂OH in the farinfrared (FIR) region. These frequencies, reported with fractional uncertainties of the order ± 2 × 10^–7, are for emissions ranging from 102.9 to 212.4 m. To our knowledge, these measurements are the first reported FIR laser frequencies for the CHD₂OH methanol isotope when used as an optically pumped laser medium.     

Submillimeter laser action of CW optically pumped CF2Cl2 (Fluorocarbon 12)

Eleven new CW far infrared (FIR) laser lines have been observed in the 600 m–1200 m range from the CF₂Cl₂ (Fluorocarbon 12) molecule optically pumped by a CO₂ laser. A 510^–4–10^–3 accuracy is achieved in the measurement of the FIR wavelengths.The frequency offset between the CO₂ pump center and the absorption line centers are measured using the transferred Lamb dip technique. Owing to a recent spectroscopic study of the CF₂ ³⁵Cl₂ molecule three lines may be assigned with great confidence as rotational transitions in thev ₆ vibrational band 923 cm^–1 of this main isotope.