Investigations were performed of spatial-angular characteristics of radiation from flashlamp-pumped dye lasers in different temperature conditions of active elements. It was found that the laser beam divergence depends on the parameters of the active element and cooling conditions. A prerequisite for ensuring a high directionality of radiation from these lasers operating in the repetitively pulsed regime was shown to be temperature stabilization of the active element and coolant.
The spectral-energy characteristics and the spatial-angular distribution (SAD) of the radiation from a pulse-periodic flashlamp-pumped dye laser with a polarizing interference filter (PIF) was studied experimentally. The laser radiation SADs were measured for alcohol, aqueous and combined solutions. We showed that aqueous solutions, in particular, that of the coumarin 120 inclusion complex with (beta) - cyclodextrin provide a high directivity, a rather uniform distribution of the radiation across the beam, and a comparatively high laser efficiency for both the nonselective cavity and for those with the PIF. This is why these solutions may be used for the pulse-periodic operating modes. Relatively small radiation divergence is obtained for the small dye concentrations only when an alcohol or combined solutions is used, and the achieved laser efficiency is not high though. A system with the polarizing interference filters had been examined demonstrating a smooth tuning of the laser wavelength over the whole visible range (the laser dye had been changed).
A tunable KTP optical parametric oscillator (OPO) operating on a single longitudinal mode of its resonator is described. Single mode operation has been achieved by using an intracavity Fabry-Perot etalon in a short-length OPO resonator. The crystal is pumped by the second harmonic of a 10 Hz, Q-switched, injection-seeded Nd:YAG laser. the tuning range observed with a crystal cut at 60 degrees is 0.75 - 0.87 micrometer for the signal beam and 1.83 - 1.37 micrometer for the idler beam. The linewidth of the OPO is 200 MHz (0.0066 cm-1), which is very close to the Fourier limit. The total output energy (signal plus idler) was measured to be up to 0.6 mJ per pulse at a pump energy of 10 mJ.
Different types of pump reflectors for dye lasers with xenon flashlamp pumping have been investigated experimentally. It has been shown that the flashlamp operation in the simmer mode leads to raising the main discharge temperature and increasing the lamp light output. The energy characteristics of the designed pulse-periodic dye lasers for a visible spectral range have been reported.
For the first time the excitation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) by means of interdigital transducers has been realized in an Rb:KTP crystal. The SAW speed of 3.9 km/s and the insertion loss of 29 dB were measured at the frequency of 240 MHz.
We propose the use of KTP-based waveguides for all-optical switching. The passing of subnanosecond light pulses through an Rb:KTP nonlinear directional coupler is investigated. The nonlinear switching of 40% of light power from the one channel to the other is observed at 5 kW input power.
The optical properties of Rb:KTP channel waveguides have been investigated. The increase in depth and refractive index have been measured and the anisotropy of the increase in index in such waveguides determined for several samples. In the experiment carried out on one of the waveguides no optical damage was observed up to power densities of 1 MW cm-2 in the blue-green spectral region.
We present the results of the experimental study of laser-induced absorption (LIA) in KTiOPO4 crystal (KTP) under the action of laser radiation of wavelengths 0.37 - 0.44, 0.53, and 0.68 - 0.88 micrometers . New data are obtained on the nature of the color centers in KTP. The relationship is established between the LIA effect and laser damage threshold of the crystals. The influence is outlined of the LIA effect on the process of frequency doubling in KTP crystal.
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