Gain dynamics in pulsed 12-. mu. m NH/sub 3/ lasers

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · J. Opt. Soc. Am. B: Opt. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAB.2.000535· OSTI ID:5785686

Morrison, H D; Garside, B K; Reid, J

The dynamics of pulsed line-tunable NH/sub 3/ lasers are investigated by measuring small-signal gain as a function of NH/sub 3/ transition, NH/sub 3/ concentration, and pump intensity. Under typical experimental conditions, it is shown that the rotational populations in NH/sub 3/ thermalize and that consequently the relative gain distribution can be described by a ratio of vibrational populations. Peak gains of 20% cm/sup -1/ are reported for mixtures of 4% NH/sub 3/ in N/sub 2/ pumped by the 9R(30) CO/sub 2/ laser line. Heating that is due to increased pump absorption reduces the gain in mixtures of higher NH/sub 3/ concentrations. The experimental results are in good agreement with the predictions of a rate-equation model, which can be applied to optimize line-tunable NH/sub 3/ lasers.

• Research Organization: Departments of Physics and Engineering Physics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1
• OSTI ID: 5785686
• Journal Information: J. Opt. Soc. Am. B: Opt. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Opt. Soc. Am. B: Opt. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 2:4; ISSN JOBPD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
AMMONIA
AMPLIFICATION
EMISSION
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY-LEVEL DENSITY
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITED STATES
GAIN
GAS LASERS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LASERS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
OPTICAL PUMPING
POPULATION INVERSION
PUMPING
QUANTITY RATIO
RESONANCE
ROTATIONAL STATES
STIMULATED EMISSION
THERMODYNAMICS
TUNING