Landolt-Börnstein Numerical Data and Functional Relationships in Science and Technology New Series / Editor in Chief: W. Martienssen Group VIII: Advanced Materials and Technologies Volume 1 Laser Physics and Applications Subvolume B: Laser Systems Part 1 Editors: G. Herziger, H. Weber, R. Poprawe Authors: J. Beránek, M. Hugenschmidt, U. Keller, G. Marowsky, K. Rohlena, W. Schulz, W. Seelig, P. Simon, U. Sowada, S. Szatmári, J. Uhlenbusch, W. Viöl, R. Wester ISSN 1619-4802 (Advanced Materials and Technologies) ISBN 978-3-540-26033-2 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data: Landolt-Börnstein: Numerical Data and Functional Relationships in Science and Technology, New Series. Editor in Chief: W. Martienssen. Group VIII, Volume 1: Laser Physics and Applications. Subvolume B: Laser Systems. Part 1. Edited by G. Herziger, H. Weber, R. Poprawe. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 2007. Includes bibliographies. 1. Physics - Tables. 2. Chemistry - Tables. 3. Engineering - Tables. I. Börnstein, Richard (1852-1913). II. Landolt, Hans (1831-1910). QC 61.23 502'.12 62-53136 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in other ways, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer-Verlag. Violations are liable for prosecution act under German Copyright Law. 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Cover layout: Erich Kirchner, Heidelberg Typesetting: Authors and Redaktion Landolt-Börnstein, Darmstadt Printing and Binding: AZ Druck, Kempten (Allgäu) SPIN: 1087 7750 63/3020 - 5 4 3 2 1 0 – Printed on acid-free paper Editors Herziger,Gerd Rheinisch-Westf¨alische Technische Hochschule, Aachen, Germany Weber, Horst Technische Universit¨at Berlin, Optisches Institut, Berlin, Germany Poprawe, Reinhart Fraunhofer-Institut f¨ur Lasertechnik (ILT), Aachen, Germany Authors Ber´anek, Jaroslav Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Physics, Prague, Czech Republic Hugenschmidt, Manfred German-French Research Institute of Saint-Louis, Saint-Louis Cedex, France / University of Karls- ruhe, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technique, Karlsruhe, Germany Keller,Ursula ETH Zurich, Physics Department, Institute of Quantum Electronics, Z¨urich, Switzerland Marowsky,Gerd Laser-Laboratorium G¨ottingen, G¨ottingen, Germany Rohlena,Karel Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Physics, Prague, Czech Republic Schulz, Wolfgang Fraunhofer-Institut f¨ur Lasertechnik (ILT), Aachen, Germany Seelig, Wolfgang Technische Universit¨at Darmstadt, Institut f¨ur angewandte Physik, Darmstadt, Germany Simon, Peter Laser-Laboratorium G¨ottingen, G¨ottingen, Germany Sowada, Ulrich Fachhochschule Kiel, Institut f¨ur Mechatronik, Kiel, Germany Szatm´ari,S´andor University of Szeged, Department of Experimental Physics, Szeged, Hungary Uhlenbusch,J¨urgen Heinrich-Heine-Universit¨at D¨usseldorf, Institut f¨ur Laser- und Plasmaphysik, D¨usseldorf, Germany Vi¨ol, Wolfgang Hochschule f¨ur angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst Fachhochschule Hildesheim/Holzminden/ G¨ottingen, Fakult¨at Naturwissenschaften und Technik, G¨ottingen, Germany Wester, Rolf Fraunhofer-Institut f¨ur Lasertechnik (ILT), Aachen, Germany VI Authors Landolt-B¨ornstein Editorial Office Gagernstraße 8 D-64283 Darmstadt, Germany fax: +49 (6151) 171760 e-mail: [email protected] Internet www.landolt-boernstein.com Preface The three volumes VIII/1A, B, C document the state of the art of “Laser Physics and Applica- tions”. Scientific trends and related technological aspects are considered by compiling results and conclusions from phenomenology, observation and experiments. Reliable data, physical fundamen- tals and detailed references are presented. In the recent decades the laser source matured to an universal tool common to scientific research as well as to industrial use. Today the technical goal is the generation of optical power towards shorter wavelengths, shorter pulses, higher efficiency and higher power for applications in science and industry. Tailoring the optical energy in wavelength, space and time is a requirement for the investigation of laser-induced processes, i.e. excitation, non-linear amplification, storage of optical energy, etc. According to the actual trends in laser research and development, Vol. VIII/1 is split into three parts: Vol. VIII/1A with its two subvolumes 1A1 and 1A2 covers laser fundamentals, Vol. VIII/1B with its two subvolumes 1B1 and 1B2 deals with laser systems and Vol. VIII/1C gives an overview on laser applications. In Vol. VIII/1B1 the following topics are treated in detail: Part 1: Survey of laser systems The laser principle is presented as a collection of fundamental phenomena as there are nonlinear regenerative amplification and stimulated emission by the active laser medium, as well as selection of optical modes and feedback by the resonator. The challenge is to reveal the mutual interactions of the coupled phenomena underlying the laser action, and, finally, realizing the technical optimum while approaching the physical limit. Tailoring the laser performance means to balance the funda- mental phenomena involved in the laser action and actually the task is to take full advantage of the diode laser as excitation source for the laser crystal. The mechanisms of excitation, amplification and saturation in the crystal depending on spectral and spatial matching of diode pump volume to the volume of the desired laser mode dominate efficiency and beam quality. Part 2: Short and ultrashort pulse generation An updated review of the progress in ultrafast solid-state lasers since 1990 is given when mode- locking became a scientific topic again and the era of ultrafast dye lasers has come to its end. The advent of high-average-power diode lasers stimulated the development of femtosecond pulses in the near infrared by reaching a band width large enough to only support one to two optical cycles underneath the pulse envelope. The essential steps in scientific progress ranging from Kerr-Lens Mode-locking (KLM), self-starting passive mode-locking by Semiconductor Saturable Absorber Mirrors (SESAM) to stabilization of the Carrier-Envelope Offset (CEO) in laser oscillators with attosecond accuracy are explained, such that the expert gains a comprehensive reference and the non-expert can get an efficient starting position to enter into this field. VIII Preface Part 3: Gas lasers In seven sections, the physical and engineering aspects of different gas lasers are presented. The first gas laser was realized in 1961 half a year after T.H. Maiman had achieved the solid-state ruby laser. Solid-state crystal and liquid lasers can only be pumped by photons. Excitation by free electrons e.g. in gas discharges, fast cooling by gas dynamical effects or excitation by chemical processes is the domain of gas lasers. The different types of gases, their specific advantages and technical solutions are compiled. September 2007 The Editors Contents Part 1 Survey of laser systems 1.1 Survey of laser systems W. Schulz ............................................................ 3 1.1.1 Introduction............................................................ 3 1.1.2 Principlesandexperiments............................................... 4 1.1.2.1 Nonlinearamplification .................................................. 4 1.1.2.2 Selection of optical modes or directional selectivity .......................... 6 1.1.2.3 Feedback resonator and regenerative amplification ........................... 7 1.1.3 Technical implementation, performance and applications ..................... 9 1.1.3.1 Gaslasersystems ....................................................... 9 1.1.3.1.1 CO2 lasersystems....................................................... 9 1.1.3.1.2 Excimerlasersystems.................................................... 10 1.1.3.1.3 Argon-ionlasersystems.................................................. 10 1.1.3.1.4 Helium-neonlasersystems................................................ 10 1.1.3.2 Solid-state laser systems .................................................. 11 1.1.3.2.1 Diode-pumped solid-state laser systems .................................... 12 1.1.4 Advanced design and short-pulse solid-state laser systems .................... 13 1.1.4.1 Fundamentals