Actively mode-locked Tm-Ho:LiYF<Subscript>4</Subscript> and Tm-Ho:BaY<Subscript>2</Subscript>F<Subscript>8</Subscript> lasers

We report on the generation of mode-locking pulse trains with high average output powers from diode-pumped Tm-Ho:LiYF₄ and Tm-Ho:BaY₂F₈ lasers emitting at around 2 μm. The highest output power of 365 mW was obtained with the Tm-Ho:YLF₄ laser, whereas the shortest pulse duration of 120 ps and the widest tunability range of 59 nm was achieved with the Tm-Ho:BaY₂F₈ laser. PACS 42.55.Xi; 42.60.Fc; 42.72.Ai; 42.55.Rz; 42.70.Hj     

Excess noise in intracavity laser frequency modulation

The response to perturbations and to stochastic noise of a laser below threshold subjected to an intracavity periodic frequency modulation is theoretically studied. It is shown that, when the modulation frequency is close to the cavity axial mode separation but yet detuned from exact resonance, the laser exhibits a strongly enhanced sensitivity to external noise, which includes large transient energy amplification of perturbations in the deterministic case and enhancement of field fluctuations in presence of a continuous stochastic noise. This large excess noise is due to the nonorthogonality of Floquet laser modes which makes it possible continuous energy transfer from the forcing noise to transient growing perturbations.     

Measurement and characterization of the frequency noise of a laser-diode-pumped single-frequency Tm-Ho:YAG laser

The frequency noise characteristics of a single-frequency 2.1-m Tm-Ho:YAG laser have been thoroughly investigated. From the measurement of the frequency noise spectral density, performed by means of an interferometric technique, a short-term laser linewidth of 550 kHz over 1-ms time interval has been obtained. The frequency stability, defined as the two sample standard deviation of the frequency fluctuations with dead time T, has been also evaluated, obtaining values ranging from 250 kHz to 2.5 MHz for T values between 1 and 100 ms over an observation time of 100 ns. It has been shown through a numerical analysis that a significant improvement is achievable, attaining a frequency stability of 25 kHz for T up to 100 ms, by using the Pound–Drever locking technique in connection with a roto-vibrational line of the HBr molecule.     

Symmetry and Short Interval Mean-Squares

The weighted Selberg integral is a discrete mean-square that generalizes the classical Selberg integral of primes to an arithmetic function f, whose values in a short interval are suitably attached to a weight function. We give conditions on f and select a particular class of weights in order to investigate non-trivial bounds of weighted Selberg integrals of both f and f * μ. In particular, we discuss the cases of the symmetry integral and the modified Selberg integral, the latter involving the Cesaro weight. We also prove some side results when f is a divisor function.     

Visualization of coherent destruction of tunneling in an optical double well system

We report on a direct visualization of coherent destruction of tunneling (CDT) of light waves in a double well system which provides an optical analog of quantum CDT as originally proposed by Grossmann, Dittrich, Jung, and H?nggi [Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 516 (1991)10.1103/PhysRevLett.67.516]. The driven double well, realized by two periodically curved waveguides in an Er:Yb-doped glass, is designed so that spatial light propagation exactly mimics the coherent space-time dynamics of matter waves in a driven double well potential governed by the Schr?dinger equation. The fluorescence of Er ions is exploited to image the spatial evolution of light in the two wells, clearly demonstrating suppression of light tunneling for special ratios between the frequency and amplitude of the driving field.     

Theoretical and experimental analysis of intensity noise in a codoped erbium–ytterbium glass laser

Received: 6 January 1997/Revised version: 10 April 1997     

Thermodynamics, Transport and Kinetics of Equilibrium and Non-Equilibrium Plasmas: A State-to-State Approach

Thermal non-equilibrium plasmas have been deeply investigated theoretically by means of the state-to-state approach, offering the unique opportunity of a detailed information about internal distributions affecting thermodynamics, transport coefficients and kinetics, properly accounting for the presence of excited states. The efforts made in the construction of knowledge on the dynamics of elementary processes occurring in the plasma with resolution on internal degrees of freedom, required by the method, are discussed. Boltzmann equation is solved for electrons self-consistently coupled to the chemical species collisional dynamics, reproducing very interesting features of strongly non-equilibrium internal distributions, characterizing plasmas.     

Comb-assisted spectroscopy of CO2 absorption profiles in the near- and mid-infrared regions

A method of performing comb-assisted spectroscopy in the 2- and 4-??m wavelength regions is deeply discussed and applied to the spectroscopic characterization of absorption lines of a CO₂ gas sample. The method relies on the use of a sum-frequency-generation scheme to relate the frequency of the probing laser to a frequency comb provided by an Er:fiber femtosecond oscillator. Controlled scans of the comb repetition frequency allow highly accurate and reproducible acquisition of the absorption spectra, which are used for subsequent retrieval of the underlying spectroscopic parameters.     

Absolute frequency measurement of a water-stabilized diode laser at 1.384?��m by means of a fiber frequency comb

We report on the absolute frequency measurement of an extended-cavity diode laser stabilized against a Doppler-free vibration?Crotation transition of the H₂ ¹⁸O isotopologue near 1.384???m. Absolute determination is performed by comparing the water-stabilized laser frequency with respect to a GPS-disciplined Rb microwave standard by means of a self-referenced fiber-based optical frequency comb. The line center frequency of the 2_2,1??2_2,0 transition of the H₂ ¹⁸O ??₁+??₃ combination band is found to be 216?519?045?955(13)?kHz.     

Time-resolved fluorescence spectrum of Quinacrine Mustard

Time-resolved fluorescence spectrum of Quinacrine Mustard in acetate buffer solution (pH 4.6) under excitation of subnanosecond laser pulses is reported. The decay curve has been found to consist of three exponential components, whose amplitudes depend on both excitation and observation wavelengths. This behaviour has been attributed to the formation of three protonated species of the molecule in the excited state.