Abstract

In atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS), multiple laser pulses propagate through an atomic vapor for a long distance. The laser frequencies are tuned to the resonant lines of the isotopic atoms and are in near-resonant with the nontarget isotopes. The laser energies are absorbed by the target atoms through the selective excitation and ionization. In addition, the laser pulse shapes, carrier frequencies and spatial profiles are significantly modified by the nonlinear interactions with the near-resonant atoms, such as intensity-dependent group velocity dispersion, self-phase modulation, self-focusing and so on. These modifications may lead the degradation of the ionization efficiency of the target isotopes during the propagation. We have been studying the nonlinear effects on the propagation of laser pulse in the resonant and near-resonant medium from the standpoint of AVLSI, numerically and experimentally.

© 1995 IEEE