Title :
Frequency-tunable optically pumped carbon monoxide laser
Author :
McCord, J.E. ; Ionin, A.A. ; Phipps, S.P. ; Crowell, P.G. ; Lampson, A.I. ; McIver, J.K. ; Brown, A.J.W. ; Hager, G.D.
Author_Institution :
Air Force Res. Lab., Directed Energy Laser Concepts, Kirtland AFB, NM, USA
Abstract :
Single-line frequency-tunable lasing was observed in an optically pumped, repetitively pulsed, room-temperature CO laser for the first time. The R(0) and R(7) ro-vibrational transitions in the (2,0) overtone of CO at 2.3 /spl mu/m were optically pumped with a high-energy optical parametric oscillator. Single-line lasing was observed on (2,1) P(2)-P(17) transitions and R(0)-R(11) transitions (covering wavelengths within the range 4.6-4.9 /spl mu/m) when using a diffraction grating as the spectrally selective reflector of the laser resonator. The observed CO laser pulse lengths were /spl sim/10/sup -7/ s with peak power up to 10/sup 4/ W. The influence of CO pressure, the addition of buffer gas (He, Ar), Q-factor of the laser resonator, and the pump pulse energy on CO laser pulse temporal characteristics and output energy spectral distribution was studied experimentally.
Keywords :
carbon compounds; diffraction gratings; gas lasers; laser cavity resonators; laser frequency stability; laser transitions; laser tuning; optical pumping; rotational-vibrational states; (2,1) P(2)-P(17) transitions; 2.3 mum; 4.6 to 4.9 mum; CO; CO laser pulse temporal characteristics; CO pressure; Q-factor; R(0) ro-vibrational transitions; R(0)-R(11) transitions; R(7) ro-vibrational transitions; diffraction grating; frequency-tunable optically pumped carbon monoxide laser; high-energy optical parametric oscillator; laser resonator; observed CO laser pulse lengths; optically pumped; output energy spectral distribution; peak power; pump pulse energy; repetitively pulsed; room-temperature CO laser; single-line frequency-tunable lasing; spectrally selective reflector; Frequency; Gas lasers; Laser excitation; Laser transitions; Nonlinear optics; Optical buffering; Optical pulses; Optical pumping; Optical resonators; Pump lasers;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
