Synchronization of dual-line lasing and subsequent gigahertz modulation of iodine lasers through mode locking

Author

Nicholson, J.W. ; Rudolph, W. ; Hager, G.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Phys. & Astron., New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque, NM, USA

Volume

34

Issue

10

fYear

1998

fDate

10/1/1998 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1830

Lastpage

1834

Abstract

Dual hyperfine line lasing of a Zeeman-tuned photolytic iodine laser resulting in 14-GHz modulated laser radiation was studied experimentally and theoretically as a function of the applied magnetic field. Synchronization of the phases of the two hyperfine lines necessary for optimum gigahertz modulation was achieved by mode locking. The resulting pulse durations of 740 ps were shorter than those previously observed without a magnetic field. Short pulses, together with the possibility of scaling the results to high-power chemical-oxygen iodine lasers, make this concept attractive for a laser-driven ultrawideband microwave source

Keywords

Zeeman effect; chemical lasers; iodine; laser beams; laser mode locking; laser transitions; laser tuning; optical modulation; synchronisation; 14 GHz; 740 ps; I; I photolytic laser; O₂-I; Zeeman-tuned photolytic laser; applied magnetic field; dual-line lasing; gigahertz modulation; high-power chemical O₂-I lasers; hyperfine lines; laser-driven ultrawideband microwave source; mode locking; modulated laser radiation; optimum gigahertz modulation; pulse durations; scaling; synchronization; Chemical lasers; Frequency synchronization; Laser mode locking; Laser modes; Laser theory; Laser transitions; Magnetic fields; Magnetic modulators; Masers; Optical pulses;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.720214

Filename

720214