A tunable,frequency-doubled,continuous-wave dye laser using ADA

A tunable, continuous-wave, frequency-doubled, rhodamine 6G dye laser has been developed using an ADA crystal placed in an astigmatic and coma compensated cavity. Generated UV powers of the order of 30mW cw in a single direction in gaussian form over the range 292–302 nm have been obtained by temperature phase matching, and with a 4.5 W pump. Power output is affected by thermal phase mismatching, and is ultimately limited by thermal lensing. Two scanning systems have been developed; a broadband arrangement of linewidth 0.02 nm continuously tunable over a range of 2 nm, and a narrowband system of linewidth 0.002 nm continuously tunable over a range of 1 nm. The laser has been used to detect the Rydberg states of Rb up to a principal quantum of n = 74.