Development of Solid State Vibrational Lasers.
Abstract
Continuous-wave lasing in the 5 micrometers wavelength region has been obtained on the 2 to 1 vibrational transition of impurity CN- ions in KBr. Population inversion is produced by optical pumping of the weakly allowed first-overtone level of the molecule with a tunable (F2(+)) sub A color center laser. We have investigated the energy budget of this solid-state vibrational laser when the v = 2 upper laser level is pumped with a CW color center laser. Using pulsed fluorescence techniques and numerical simulations, we find that due to vibrational energy exchange between pairs of CN- ions in the v = 1 lower level, waste pump energy is recycled to the v = 2 upper level. Ideally the efficiency of this recycyling scheme approaches unity, but due to energy transfer into higher vibrational levels, and because of spectral diffusion within the inhomogeneously broadened CN- profile, the observed recycling efficiency is reduced. To our knowledge this is the first experiment demonstrating defeat of the Manley-Rowe limit. Keywords: Continuous-wave lasing; Vibrational transition; Population inversion; Optical pumping; Overtone; Tunable; Color center laser; Energy budget; Solid-state vibrational laser; Color center; Fluorescence; Vibrational energy exchange; Energy transfer; Inhomogeneous; Manley-Rowe.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA159817
Entities
People
- A. J. Sievers
Organizations
- Cornell Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics