Twisted lines and small-scale structures in generation spectra of Yb-doped media excited by focused radiation of LiF:F 2 + color center laser

Spectral lines of Yb lasing in 1.03–1.05 μm region structured by 50–200 μm spots were found at focusing a pulsed LiF:F₂⁺ color center laser of 0.5–5.0 GW/cm² intensity on highly doped Yb:YAG or Yb:glass plates in a resonator. Small spots at the spectrograph located ≈ 1 m apart from the resonator indicated a “sub-diffraction” directivity of Yb generation, 1–2 orders better than the diffraction limit 10⁻³–10⁻² rad determined by the pumped volume dimensions. Observed features of Yb emission are explained assuming off-axis oscillations in Yb laser on phase-synchronized photons due to a strong spatial-angular selection of radiation in the resonator. Propagation of near diffraction free beams at angles to the axis built at the spectrograph slit for every 10–15 ns pulse of Yb generation a magnified “image” of a structure of generating channels in the active medium. This image projection brought a corresponding structure of spots in Yb spectra. It was found that channels may be formed due to a high-frequency spatial modulation (micrometers scale) of the refractive index profile in samples caused by the oscillating amplitude of thermoelastic stresses in the pumped medium. Obtained data demonstrate a possibility to study (with high spatial and temporal resolution) non-equilibrium stales of materials in small volumes using laser radiation emerging from these objects. This study results evidence for the novel concept of the spatial distribution of electromagnetic field of a photon: not in the form of a “travelling” wave but in the form of a wave with maxima and nodes located at fixed positions along the photon propagation direction.