Study of mode locked argon ion - dye laser systems

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5563586

Selfridge, R H

Argon ion laser output pulses are produced by passive and double mode - locking. Organic dyes are used in this mode - locking method. The argon laser output pulse trains have average powers of nearly 80 milliwatts. The individual pulses have durations of less than 120 picoseconds. Comparison of this passive method of generating short argon laser pulses with the standard active mode - locking methods shows that for some applications double mode - locking of the argon ion laser may be preferable. A new argon ion - dye laser double mode - locking cavity is presented that allows simultaneous pulse period variation in both laser pulse trains. Analysis is given to predict the number of pulses and hence the period of pulses for different cavity length adjustments. A novel approach is presented for creating synchronous picosecond pulse trains at two wavelengths. The method uses a synchronously pumped argon ion laser to cause population inversion and lasing in a mixture of rhodamine 6G and cresyl violet dye. This synchronously pumped double mode - locking is simpler to implement than other two wavelength methods. The pulses produced are superior to those generated in the widely used commercial synchronously pumped systems.

• OSTI ID: 5563586
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
ARGON IONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
DYE LASERS
ENERGY LEVELS
GAS LASERS
IONS
LASER CAVITIES
LASERS
LIQUID LASERS
MODE LOCKING
POPULATION INVERSION
PULSES