New efficient and stable laser dyes for cw operation in the blue and violet spectral region

Sulphonated bis-styryles and triazinyl-stilbenes have been investigated for cw dye laser operation. These promising new classes of laser dyes have proven to be superior to the known coumarins with respect to threshold, slope efficiency and photochemical stability. They shift the short wavelength tuning limit of the cw dye laser down to 403 nm. Broad tuning ranges of more than 4500 cm^-1 and efficiencies up to 20% were found. In contrast to the coumarins these new dyes showed no photochemical degradation even at high pump power levels.