Abstract

In the field of multifrequency laser physics, both theory and experiment indicate that Ultra-broadband Multifrequency Raman Generation (UMRG) is unique in terms of the number of distinct frequencies of comparable energy that can be generated.^1-3 UMRG differs from conventional Raman conversion in that resonant and symmetric (two-color) pumping is employed. Using H₂ gas, beams consisting of tens of frequencies are possible. Atmospheric UMRG has the potential for generating beams with over 150 frequency channels [2d]. However, while experiments use finite-size pump beams, UMRG theory has to date relied on plane-wave analyses.

© 1999 Optical Society of America