Recording of selective intracavity absorption at doubled frequencies of multimode laser radiation

We carried out measurements of the spectral distribution of wideband dye laser generation intensity within the limits and in the vicinity of an absorption line with its simultaneous recording at the frequencies of the fundamental and second harmonics of laser radiation. In the laser cavity we placed optical cuvettes with active and absorbing media, as well as selecting and nonlinear-optical elements. We show that at double frequencies the contrast of the narrow-band hole in the multimode laser generation spectrum increases. The gain in the concentration sensitivity of measurements depends in this case on the value of the absorption coefficient being determined. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., 220072, Minsk, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 4, pp. 516–521, July–August, 1998.     

Dynamics of processes occurring in laser ablation of metals in a liquid

We present the results of investigations undertaken to establish relationships between certain characteristics of the disintegration of metals in air and liquid under laser radiation and their thermophysical properties, as well as between the basic parameters of a gas cavity formed in a liquid and the energy of the laser ablation products of metals. Consideration is given to the possibilities of applying the dynamic properties of this cavity to control the time behavior of the radiation of solid-state lasers and to solve spectroanalytical problems. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics, Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave, Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 64, No. 5, pp. 668–673, September–October, 1997.     

Effect of the mode composition of laser radiation on the intracavity formation of periodic surface structures

We investigated the effect of the mode composition (longitudinal and transverse modes) of laser radiation on the basic parameters of the stroke pattern formed on a treated surface placed inside a laser cavity. We found that the contrast of the stroke pattern formed by a laser beam with a complex set of longitudinal modes depends, in the first place, on the width of the laser radiation spectrum and the laser cavity length and is virtually independent of the angle of rotation of the beam. In the region of small rotation angles the broadening of strokes caused by the effect of transverse modes becomes predominant. B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikaladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 64, No. 1, pp. 50–54, January–February, 1997.     

Formation of chemical compounds in a laser plasma

Using the methods of laser-induced fluorescence and emissive spectroscopy, we carried out investigations of the formation of TiO molecules in a laser plasma produced by focusing the radiation of an AYG:Nd³⁺ laser on the surface of a titanium target in air. The radiation flux density varied within the range 10⁸–10¹⁰ W/cm². We investigated the distribution of molecules over internal states and the space-time distributions of Ti atoms in the ground, metastable, and excited states, as well as of TiO molecules in the ground and excited states. We found that gas-phase reactions with participation of Ti atoms in the ground state provide the most probable channel for the formation of TiO molecules; the role of reagents in ionized, excited, and metastable states is of secondary importance. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 1, pp. 109–115, January–February, 1999.     

Laser absorption and fluorescence diagnostics of a plasma

Diagnostics of a near-surface laser plasma, the plasma of a strong-current pulse gaseous discharge in inert gases, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide under conditions of intense evaporation of the wall of the discharge chamber, the plasma of a discharge with a hollow cathode, and the active medium of an excimer laser was conducted by methods of intracavity laser spectroscopy and laser-induced fluorescence. The dynamic fields and absolute concentrations of atoms, ions, molecules and electrons, the plasma temperature, and the velocities of flows of particles were measured. The quantitative determination of the density of particles in the erosion laser flame prior to breakdown and the phenomena associated with the formation of molecules in the laser plasma received primary consideration. To whom correspondence should be addressd. Instite of Molecular and Atomic Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 64, No. 3, pp. 281–290, May–June, 1997.     

Optical bistability of a thin layer of a substance with quasiresonance polarizability components

Optical-bistability conditions for a thin (smaller than the wavelength of the acting laser radiation) surface layer of resonance atoms are calculated with allowance for the influence of the polarizing fields of transitions adjacent to the resonance one and allowed in the electrodipole approximation on the transmissivity of the medium of the layer. It is noted that the change in the threshold bistability characteristics is due to the influence of the self-modulation broadening of the line of the laser field occurring in the thin resonancepolarized layer on the effective level of its absorption. Institute of Applied Optics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 11, Byalynitskii-Birulya Str., Mogilev, 212793, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 5, pp. 661–665, September–October, 1999.     

Local spectral determination of gases and carbon in solid samples by the method of laser spectral analysis

We show the possibility of local spectral determination of nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon in solid materials with the use of a plasma obtained on exposure of materials to laser radiation, including single laser pulses. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 4, pp. 482–485, July–August, 1998.     

Influence of laser heating on the optical properties of a superhigh-modulus organoplastic material

The degree and azimuth of polarization and the indicatrix of the intensity of radiation (λ=0.63 μm) reflected by the surface of a monodirectional superhigh-modulus organoplastic material after structural transformations induced in it by CO₂-laser radiation are measured. It is shown that the space-polarization characteristics of the radiation reflected by the organoplastic material charred as a result of laser heating correspond to the parameters of radiation scattered by a nontransparent material with an isotropic surface in the approximation of geometrical optics. B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 68, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 5, pp. 635–639, September–October, 1999.     

A two-frequency He−Ne laser at the 3S 2→3P 4 transition in mutually orthogonal transverse magnetic fields

By taking as an example a He−Ne laser that operates at the 3S₂−3P₄ transition (λ=3.39 μm), we studied the specific features of nonlinear interaction of the waves of linear orthogonal polarizations in a transverse magnetic field. Using mutually orthogonal transverse magnetic fields on the neighboring portions of an active medium, we implemented a regime of two-frequency generation, which was investigated theoretically and experimentally. To whom correspondence should be addressed. B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 68, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 4, pp. 568–573, July–August, 1999.     

Angular distribution and polarization characteristics of radiation reflected by a fibrous superhigh-modulus composite material

The effect of a smooth surface binder film and the orientation of filler fibers of unidirectional superhigh-modulus organoplastic on space-polarization characteristics of He−Ne laser reflected radiation is investigated. B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 68, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220078, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 6, pp. 926–931, November–December, 1998.     

dispersion of induced amplitude and phase anisotropy of viscous solutions of dyes

Studies are conducted to investigate changes in the state of polarization of probing radiation that passed through anisotropically excited solutions of rhodamine 6G and 3,6-tetramethyldiamino-N-methylphthalimide in glycerin. The studies allowed the authors to find characteristics of spectral behavior of amplitude and phase anisotropy in these systems. A qualitative difference is found between the spectral behavior of differences in the refractive indices Δn-n_y−n_Z of these solutions simulated by different systems of energy levels of active molecules. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics of the National Academy of Sciences, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 4, pp. 486–490, July–August, 1998.     

Laser system based on a picosecond dye laser with combined feedback for spectroscopy

A laser system comprising a synchronously pumped picosecond dye laser with combined cavity-distributed feedback and a two-stage dye amplifier is described. The dependence of the laser pulse duration on the detuning of the cavity length, the pumping level of the active medium, and the pulse number in the pulse train was investigated. It is shown that the combination of the two types of feedback provides more than ten-fold shortening of the dye laser ultrashort pulse duration. B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 1, pp. 47–55, January–February, 1998.     

Indole photodissociation in the gas phase

Kinetic characteristics of the growth in delayed luminescence intensity of indole in the gas phase have been measured with excitation of the molecules in the spectral region 250–287 nm. The luminescence build-up kinetics show two components with characteristic lifetimes of about 1 and 10 μs that are associated with the formation of free radicals due to N–H bond dissociation. Two basic mechanisms for photodissociation of indole in the gas phase have been identified based on an analysis of the dependence of the kinetic characteristics for these components on the excitation radiation wavelength/intensity and the vapor pressures of indole and foreign gases. The fast component results from the dissociation of an N–H bond of vibrationally excited molecules in the ground state that is populated through internal conversion. The slow component is associated with the generation of free radicals because of annihilation of two triplet indole molecules. A dependence of the quantum yield of intersystem crossing on the excitation wavelength in the spectral region 260–287 nm has been found. It is shown that the fluorescence quantum yield drop with a decrease of the excitation radiation wavelength is caused by an increase in the internal conversion quantum yield to the electronic ground state.     

Role of highly efficient collisions in collisional transfer of vibrational energy in benzophenone-foreign gas mixtures

Collisional losses of vibrational energy in mixtures of benzophenone excited by nitrogen laser radiation (λ=337 nm) and foreign gases (Ar, Kr, SF₆, C₅H₁₂) were studied by time-resolved delayed luminescence. It is established that the intensities and rates of decay of the fast and slow components of delayed luminescence can be used to evaluate the characteristics of V–V– and V–T–transfer of vibrational energy. For the V-V-process, the efficiencies and mean energies transferred in a collision are determined. It is shown that in the mixture with multiatomic gases, vibrational equilibrium is reached after a few collisions, the number of which decreases as the molecule of the foreign gas becomes more complicated. The V–V–process is characterized by high efficiencies of collisions typical for “supercollisions”. The experimental characteristics of V-V-transfer correlate well with ergodic transfer of vibrational energy predicted by statistical theories. 0120 0126 V 3 Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics of the National Academy of Science of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 3, pp. 340–345, May–June, 1998.     

Induced and back scattering in a ruby laser

From the condition of generation (of the reproducibility of opposite waves for a pass around a resonator) it follows that in addition to amplitude-phase changes an active medium must also compensate for backscatter in the resonator. The most probable mechanism involved in this compensation is nonlinear backscatter. In the process of generation, nonlinear scattering compensates for resonator scattering as a result of self-regulation. Amplitude-frequency characteristics are determined by the types of vibrations of a resonator, whereas nonlinear effects specify these characteristics. Higher College of Communication, 8/2 Staroborisovskii Trakt, 220114, Minsk, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 6, pp. 881–887, November–December, 1998.     

Stability of the conditions for excitation of atomic spectra in plasma produced on exposure of copper alloys to laser radiation

We show that the temperature of plasma produced by exposure of copper-zinc alloy specimens to laser radiation changes little (within the limits of random errors) with a change in the conditions of the laser effect and chemical composition of the specimens. With use of electric discharges (a low-voltage spark), systematic changes in the temperature of the plasma are observed when the chemical composition of copper-zinc alloys changes. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 3, pp. 319–321, May–June, 1998.     

Infrared multiphoton excitation of polyatomic molecules

Results of investigations of the process of multiphoton excitation of polyatomic molecules by CO₂-laser radiation are presented. The mechanism of formation of the profiles of IR absorption bands of polyatomic molecules is discussed. New experimental methods of investigation of relaxation processes at high levels of vibrational excitation of molecules in the ground and triplet states are considered. For vapors of polyatomic molecules and their mixtures with foreign gases, the quantitative characteristics of the collisional exchange and the vibrational-energy transfer as well as the rates of intercombinational conversion ⇛ and triplet-triplet transfer are presented and their dependences on the vibrational-excitation level are discussed. Institute of Molecular and Atomic Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 5, pp. 675–693, September–October, 1998.     

Influence of spectral-dynamic effects in a laser and light guide on the dynamics of recirculation in a closed contour

The influence of stimulated emission delay, dynamic shift in generation frequency, residual charge effect, timing jitter of the radiation and excitation regime of an injection laser, as well as of dispersion in a fiber light guide on the data-internal storage time in an electrooptical contour is investigated. It is found that the storage duration of an interval depends strongly on the lifetime of nonequilibrium charge carriers, the simultaneous effect of a residual charge and jitter in an injection laser, as well as on the dc bias current of the laser. Belarusian State University, 4. F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220050, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 1, pp. 56–61, January–February, 1998.     

Analysis of the Characteristics of Laser and Superluminescent Diodes

It is shown that superluminescent diodes rank below laser diodes in energy characteristics, but they have a wider emission spectrum and lower noise level. The amplitude-frequency and noise characteristics of the laser diode correlate with each other, whereas there is no such correlation for the superluminescent diode. The photon density distribution along the active area is more homogeneous for the laser diode than for the superluminescent one. Presented at the 5th International Scientific-Technical Conference “Quantum Electronics,” November 22–25, 2004, Minsk, Belarus. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 72, No. 5, pp. 689–693. September–October, 2005.     

The influence of dispersion in resonator elements on the characteristics of two-frequency generation of a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser

The influence of dispersion in the active medium and selected resonator elements (Fabry–Perot interferometers) on the output characteristics of a two-frequency diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser has been investigated. It is shown that the presence of the interferometers causes the beat frequency to depend on the generation wavelength. Based on this effect, a method to determine small displacements is proposed. A displacement of the resonator mirror as small as ~40 nm (less than one twentieth of the laser radiation wavelength) has been recorded experimentally.