Single-mode operation of a zigzag dye laser

Author

Mandl, Alexander ; Klimek, Daniel E.

Author_Institution

Textron Defense Syst., Everett, MA, USA

Volume

31

Issue

5

fYear

1995

fDate

5/1/1995 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

916

Lastpage

922

Abstract

We report single-mode operation of a laser pumped zigzag dye laser for pulse lengths >1 μs with beam quality close to the diffraction limit. A unique linear optical cavity using counter-propagating orthogonally polarized waves was used. Laser efficiency measurements performed with a stable cavity had outputs of greater than 1.7 J at 568 mn using Pyrromethene-567 dye. The intrinsic laser efficiency was 55% with a slope efficiency of 77%. Single-mode operation was achieved using an unstable resonator with intra-cavity etalons to control the free running modes of the cavity and seeding with a single-mode Kr-ion laser operating at 568 nm. Heterodyne measurements were used to determine that the bandwidth was near the transform limit with the frequency chirping at a rate ~60 MHz/Ms. Far-field measurements of the beam quality indicated close to diffraction limited output

Keywords

chirp modulation; demodulation; dye lasers; high-speed optical techniques; laser beams; laser cavity resonators; laser modes; laser stability; laser variables measurement; light interferometry; optical materials; optical modulation; optical pumping; organic compounds; 1 mus; 55 percent; 568 nm; 77 percent; Pyrromethene-567 dye; beam quality; counter-propagating orthogonally polarized waves; diffraction limit; diffraction limited output; far-field measurement; free running modes; frequency chirping; heterodyne measurements; intra-cavity etalons; intrinsic laser efficiency; laser efficiency measurements; laser pumped; pulse lengths; single-mode Kr-ion laser; single-mode operation; slope efficiency; stable cavity; transform limit; unique linear optical cavity; unstable resonator; zigzag dye laser; Frequency measurement; Laser beams; Laser excitation; Laser modes; Optical diffraction; Optical mixing; Optical pulses; Optical pumping; Optical resonators; Pump lasers;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.375938

Filename

375938