Conditions for single-line and single-mode tuning of a CO2 waveguide laser

Single-mode tuning over 500 MHz in 90 lines, and 700 MHz in 70 lines is reported for a pyrex waveguide CO₂ laser in long-pulse operation. The peak power exceeds 100 W in the strongest lines, and the beam profile is diffraction limited. These features make the laser well suited as pump source for optically pumped molecular lasers.Work supported by the Danish National Science Research Council under Grant No. 11-3389     

Real time linewidth measurement of a continuously tunable multiatmosphere TE CO2 laser

Frequency upconversion as a means of investigating the spectral characteristics of continuously tunable multiatmosphere TE CO₂ lasers has been demonstrated. Phase matched mixing in proustite of 10 μm laser radiation and the output of a single-mode Nd:YAG laser has permitted Fabry-Pérot interferograms, at the 0.96 μm sum frequency, to be recorded with the aid of a conventional image converter tube.     

Wide-band low noise MM-wave SIS mixers with a single tuning element

Several SIS quasiparticle mixers have been designed and tested for the frequency range from 80 to 115 GHz. The sliding backshort is the only adjustable RF tuning element. The RF filter reactance is used as a fixed RF matching element. A mixer which uses a single 2×2 m² Pb-alloy junction in a quarter-height waveguide mount has a coupled conversion gain of G_M(DSB)=2.6±0.5 dB with an associated noise temperature of T_M(DSB)=16.4±1.8 K at the best DSB operation point. The receiver noise temperature T_R(DSB) is 27.5±0.8 K for the mixer test apparatus. This mixer provides a SSB receiver noise temperature below 50 K over the frequency range from 91 to 96 GHz, the minimum being T_R(SSB)=44±4 K. Another mixer with an array of five 5×5 m² junctions in series in a full-height wave-guide mount has much lower noise temperature T_M(DSB)=6.6±1.6 K, but less gain G_M(DSB)=–5.1±0.5 dB.Contribution of the U.S. Government, not subject to copyright     

Rapid tuning of a dye laser

An electrooptically tunable Lyot filter was inserted into a dye laser resonator as a first stage element. The laser emission was tuned with a speed of 35 nm/μsec over a wavelength range of 20 nm.     

The laser pulse from a rf waveguide CO2 laser

The behaviour of a rf-excited waveguide CO₂ laser in the pulse regime is studied experimentally. The specific time sections of the pulse have been defined and described in detail. The output pulse evolution versus input power, pressure of the laser mixture, output coupling, repetition frequency and pulse width has been investigated. The spectral content of the pulse has been analysed. A model explaining the effect of laser tuning during the pulse duration is given. The ultrahigh pulse (UHP), defined as the pulse for which the bulge effect occurs, is predicted. Received: 22 October 2002 / Revised version: 13 January 2003 / Published online: 26 March 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +48-71/3203-189, E-mail: eda@zr.ita.pwr.wroc.pl     

Kinetic modelling of a fast-axial-flow CO2 laser

A six-temperature Boltzmann-equilibrium kinetics model has been developed for simulating the performance of fast-axial-flow, longitudinal-discharge CO₂ lasers. The model includes the effects of electrical excitation, VV and VT collisional relaxation, thermal energy transport, distributed optical losses, and coherent radiation extraction for a CO₂/N₂/He/H₂O mixture. Numerical predictions from the model are compared with experimental results obtained with a 2.5 kW device.     

Wide-band measurement of mechanical thermal noise using a laser interferometer

We have measured the displacement thermal noise of a mechanical cantilever, made of phosphor bronze, using a laser interferometer. The measured noise spectrum agrees well with an estimation based on the fluctuation–dissipation theorem with a mechanical-admittance measurement. The frequency range where we could measure the thermal noise was from 50  to 500 Hz; this range is important for the noise characterization of interferometric gravitational wave detectors.     

Air-breathing mode a long-pulse laser propulsion with TE CO2 laser

Air-breathing mode laser propulsion experiment with a long-pulse transversely excited （TE） CO2 laser is carried out, and its ignition problem is solved with the ignition needle of lightcraft. Owing to the ignition needle, an order of magnitude reduction in the ignition threshold is demonstrated. The result is compared with previous study. The momentum coupling coefficient is also measured in the experiment and its dependence upon laser pulse energy （6 14 J） and pulse width （20, 32, and 40 μs） is discussed.     

Long range anemometry using a CO2 laser

A CO₂ laser anemometer is described which gives a real-time, continuous, measure of one component of wind velocity. Results are presented of a series of trials in which the laser anemometer is compared with a conventional propeller anemometer at ranges up to 50 m from the laser. Very good agreement is observed between the outputs of the two devices.     

Power density distribution of a commercial CO2 laser

Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spekstroskopii, Vol. 51, No. 5, pp. 762–766, November, 1989.     

Parametric study of a UV preionized CO2 laser

Small signal gain measurements of a uv preionized TEA CO₂ laser system are described. It is shown that the relative timing of preionization with respect to the main discharge determines the amount of electrical energy that can be deposited in the gas prior to arc formation.     

Numerical analysis of a CO2 SFUR laser cavity

Summary In this paper we present a numerical study of the SFUR (self-filtering unstable resonator) cavity resonant modes and numerical results are compared with the experimental data. The numerical code developed for analysing the SFUR cavity will also allow for studying a wider class of resonators, and is therefore a very useful tool in designing new laser cavities.