Abstract

The first reported use of a rhodamine-dye laser to generate tunable high-power picosecond pulses in the vibrational infrared is described. By using stimulated electronic Raman scattering from the 6s–5d transition in a superheated cesium vapor, we have shifted 1-psec pulses from an amplified rhodamine-dye laser (568–590 nm) to 3040–2320 cm⁻¹ (3.3–4.3 μm). Somewhat longer pulses have been shifted to 1950 cm⁻¹ (5.1 μm). Peak infrared energies of 11 μJ representing a quantum efficiency of 4.6%, were obtained at a 10-Hz repetition rate. Tuning to longer wavelengths with short pulses is limited by nonlinear processes but should be possible by further reductions of cesium dimer effects.

© 1984 Optical Society of America

Generation of widely tunable nanosecond pulses in the vibrational infrared by stimulated Raman scattering from the cesium 6s–5d transition

A. L. Harris, J. K. Brown, M. Berg, and C. B. Harris
Opt. Lett. 9(2) 47-49 (1984)

Generation of nanosecond infrared pulses tunable from 2.8 to 16 μm by efficient stimulated electronic Raman scattering

Alexander L. Harris and Nicholas J. Levinos
Appl. Opt. 26(18) 3996-4000 (1987)

Tunable picosecond pulses around 1.3 μm generated by a synchronously pumped infrared dye laser

A. Seilmeier, W. Kaiser, B. Sens, and K. H. Drexhage
Opt. Lett. 8(4) 205-207 (1983)

Picosecond pulse operation of a dye laser containing a phase-conjugate mirror

R. K. Jain and K. Stenersen
Opt. Lett. 9(12) 546-548 (1984)

Subnanosecond-pulse generation at 308 and 450 nm by truncated stimulated Brillouin scattering

O. L. Bourne and A. J. Alcock
Opt. Lett. 9(9) 411-413 (1984)