Abstract

It is very difficult to create energetic high-intensity lasers in the UV region on account of the low damage thresholds of optical components and the low upconversion efficiencies for short pulses. We have been exploring an alternative approach to the high intensity UV pulse generation by combining a large KrF laser amplifier¹ and a backward Raman pulse compression technique. The Raman conversion of KrF laser has many advantages suitable for large system. For example, two photon absorption coefficient in fused silica window, which is important window material for large system, at the Stokes light wavelength (268 nm for methane gas) is more than three times smaller than the coefficient at KrF laser wavelength.²

© 1999 Optical Society of America