A Tunable Laser System for the Ultraviolet, Visible, and Infrared Regions

ENERGY TECHNOLOGY We have developed a laser system that produces tunable, coherent A tunable beams of radiation covering the electromagnetic spectrnmfrom below 200 nm in the ultraviolet to above 1000 nm in the infrared. This laser system system uses a tunable dye laser in the visible region and converts the for the laser light to shorter and longer wavelengths by stimulated Raman scattering in molecular hydrogen or deuterium gas. For example, in ultraviolet, the ultraviolet region, we have generated wavelengths as short as 171.3 nm. Tunable ultraviolet beams can be applied to atomic and visible, molecular spectroscopy as well as to isotopic and chemical analyses. and infrared • regions Tunable dye lasers in the visible wavelengths as short as 185 nm region have opened up large areas have been produced in this man of scientific study and, in particular, ner, they have been generated ef have become important analytical ficiently only at wavelengths longer tools. 1 However, in the ultraviolet than 220 nm. As a result of our re (uv) region below 220 nm, con cent work, there is now a new, venient, continuously tunable, satisfactory method of generating coherent light sources have been continuously tunable light from the sought for many years with little infrared through the visible to the success. Although there have been ultraviolet to wavelengths below For further information contact many recent advances in tunable 220nm. Jeffrey Paisner (422-6211) or uv and vacuum ultraviolet (vuv) Our simple and versatile method Steven Hargrove (422-6178). generation below 220 nm, the is based on the so-called anti methods used generally require un Stokes stimulated Raman scatter usual materials or techniques, and ing (SRS) in molecular hydrogen the wavelength coverage is gas. We have successfully and ef generally very limited. ficiently generated continuously Continuously tunable uv light tunable wavelengths as short as can be generated by frequency 171.3 nm. To our knowledge, this doubling the output of a con is the shortest wavelength ever tinuously tunable dye laser produced by stimulated Raman operating in the visible region. This scattering. We believe that this frequency-doubling is accom technique can be further extended plished through the use of a non to wavelengths as short as 130 nm. linear, birefringent crystal. Although Stimulated Raman scattering Stimulated Raman scattering was extenSively studied in the earliest days of quantum elec tronics. In fact, the high-order Raman processes we use were first observed over a decade ago. 1 The physics of the Raman Raman process is said to be "first anti-Stokes radiation," process is illustrated in the energy "Stokes-shifted," and this particular denoted A51. The energetics of this level scheme depicted in Fig. 1a. output is called "first Stokes radia process are depicted in Fig. 1 b. The pump laser pulse at frequency tion," denoted 51. Raman generation of A51 is vpis incident upon a molecule in an As in conventional lasing, first sometimes called parametric four initial state, i, and can promote it to Stokes emission has a flux-density wave mixing because four waves a virtual state, indicated by the (or intensity) threshold. Below this (two at v p' one at v 51, and one at dashed line in Fig. 1a. If enough threshold, no 51 radiation appears, v A51) participate in the process. Un transitions are induced, a popula but once the pump laser flux den like first Stokes generation, this tion inversion can result in the gas sity exceeds the threshold, 51 grows process has no threshold once 51 between the virtual level and a final exponentially in intensity as the radiation appears. Higher-order level,! In a molecule such as pump intensity increases. As a anti-Stokes frequencies (v p + n v R, hydrogen, the initial state is the result, two intense waves (the for n = 2,3,4, ... ) are produced ground -state vibrational level, and pump and the 51) propagate in in an equivalent way as depicted in the final state is the first vibrational phase through the molecular gas. Fig. 1c. Parametric generation of level. Stimulated emission occurs at Since these two waves are in phase, higher-order Stokes frequencies a longer wavelength corresponding they harmonically beat against one also occurs. to the frequency v p - (v j- Vi) = another and produce an electronic V p - v R. For hydrogen, the Raman polarization in the gas at the Anti-Stokes scattering frequency, v R, is simply its - Raman frequency, v R. This in in molecular hydrogen fundamental vibrational frequency duced polarization induces a high Molecular hydrogen is an ex (v R =4155 cm-I, and 1 cm-1 = frequency sideband on the light. cellent gas for Raman scattering 30 GHz). The fraction of the pump This conversion of light to a higher because it has a very large Raman laser light that is converted in this frequency (v p + v R) is called the cross section. In addition, it has (a) (b) (e) v p t----'-- f f f i ~~------------------~--- i that v R v - Vi' (b) Generation offlrst anti-Stokes radia lFfi®o n Simplified energy-level diagram depicting = f (§) the energetics of the stimulated Raman tion,AS1,atjrequencyvASl = vp + vnbyfour-wave scattering phenomena. (a) Stimulated Stokes scattering in parametric mixing. (c) Parametric generation of the nth which a pump photon atfrequency vp is absorbed and a anti-Stokes Raman radiation (where n = 1,2,3, .. .). Here, Stokes photon atjrequency vS1 = vp - vR is emitted. Note ASo is just the pump laser. 2 ENERGY TECHNOLOGY widely spaced vibration levels the medium. Optical dispersion in Fig. 2. Starting with the fourth (IIR = 4155 em-I) so that large fre would destroy this condition, harmonic of a neodymium quency shifts can be obtained using because the mixing waves would yttrium-aluminum-garnet the SRS process. Isotopic substitu propagate through the gas at dif (Nd-YAG) laser at 266nm we tion of deuterium for hydrogen ex ferent velocities. The larger the op have generated quite easily at least tends the wavelength coverage to tical dispersion, the shorter the dis five anti-Stokes and five Stokes different ranges because the tance over which the waves can in components under modest pump Raman shift in deuterium is II R = teract and produce the high-order ing conditions. In this case, the AS4 2991 em-I. Furthermore, hydrogen Raman processes. Ultimately, the wave occurs at 184.4 nm and the can withstand high optical fields number of short-wavelength AS ASs wave at 171.3 nm. Although before it breaks down. This allows sideband -component frequencies the AS6 occurs at 159.9 nm, it was the propagation of waves at those generated is limited by the optical not observed because it was totally intensities needed to produce the dispersion. Fortunately, the conver absorbed by the suprasil dispersing high-order, nonlinear Raman sion efficiency to the Raman prism used in these studies. All the processes we have discussed. generated waves increases beams emerge collinearly from the Perhaps the most important dramatically with frequency and Raman cell, and a simple prism was property of molecular hydrogen tends to offset this effect in used to disperse the separate com gas, however, is its very low optical molecular hydrogen. ponent waves. dispersion. We recall from the dis Focusable power is essential so cussion in the previous section that Generation of anti-Stokes that the threshold for Stokes high-order Raman processes (Sn ultraviolet radiation generation can be exceeded and and ASn , for n = 1,2,3, ... ) occur Fixed wavelengths. We have the efficient generation of shorter because the waves at two different exploited the SRS method using wavelengths can be achieved. In frequencies travel in phase through the experimental setup illustrated the experiment depicted, the IFfj® ~ Schematic of the anti-Stokes Raman generator. The H 2 (§)O pressure in the 1-m Raman cell was typically 450 kPa. The 1-cm 2 input beam at 266 nm was focused by a 50-cm lens to a spot of about 15 J.tm in diameter. Pump radiation, 266 nm Anti-Stokes Raman generator cell Dispersing prism 3 intensity at the focus of the pump orders, for example, about 1 % to 52 (1048 nm); and with 280-nm radiation was about 1012 W/cm2. energy or about 0.7% photon con pump radiation we have observed We found that thresholds for 51 version in the A54 wave. With 15 f-LJ A54 (191.1 nm) to 56 (927.9 nm). generation and the associated of pump energy at 266 nm, we The generation of anti-Stokes parametric anti -Stokes processes have measured 150 f-LJ in the A54 waves at even higher orders below 200 nm were less than 2 mJ at 184.4 nm and 5 f-LJ in the A5s at probably occurs, although they (in a 5-ns pulse) under the condi 171.3 nm. could not be observed in this par tions shown in Fig. 2. This laser Tunable anti-Stokes mdiation. ticular experiment because of the power condition is easily met by For a tunable uv laser, we must use particular output window of the commercially available lasers, both a tunable pump laser in the visible Raman cell. In another test using tunable and fixed-frequency. region. With a commercially 65-mJ pulses (~5 ns long) from We have observed pump-wave available dye laser pumped by an the dye laser at 560 nm, we energy depletions of greater than Nd-YAG laser, we have obtained measured more than 25 f-LJ at A5s 75%. The energy partitioning results similar to those just (195.7 nm). favors the lower-order Stokes and described.

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