Near- to far-infrared tunable Raman laser
Abstract
The importance of stimulated Raman scattering of tunable laser beams in molecular fluids for generating powerful infrared radiation tunable from the near to the far infrared is demonstrated. Main criteria (frequency shift, transparency, and Raman gain) leading to the choice of the best Raman medium for a given tunable laser are discussed. For the high power (400-1000 MW), monochromatic (0.02 kayser), and broadly tunable (0.72-1.09 micron) ruby pumped dye laser described here, gaseous hydrogen is chosen for the 1-10 micron wavelength region yielding powers ranging from 1 to 200 MW. For mid-infrared generation (10-18 microns), one more Raman shifting in liquid nitrogen permits one to obtain up to 1.7 mJ in the 16 micron region. For longer wavelengths the use of resonantly enhanced stimulated Raman scattering in hydrogen fluoride gives rise to the generation of powerful radiation (2 x 10 to the 17th photons per pulse of 2.5 ns duration) tunable over half of the 40-250 microns spectral range.
- Publication:
-
IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics
- Pub Date:
- November 1980
- Bibcode:
- 1980IJQE...16.1184D
- Keywords:
-
- Dye Lasers;
- High Power Lasers;
- Infrared Lasers;
- Raman Lasers;
- Tunable Lasers;
- Far Infrared Radiation;
- Laser Pumping;
- Light Scattering;
- Near Infrared Radiation;
- Ruby Lasers;
- Stimulated Emission;
- Lasers and Masers