Intracavity absorption with a continuous wave dye laser: quantification for a narowband absorber

Journal Article · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Appl. Opt.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.26.003663· OSTI ID:6223448

Brobst, W D; Allen, Jr, J E

Although it is recognized as a very sensitive detection technique, the general application of intracavity absorption to areas such as chemical kinetics and photochemistry has been somewhat limited. Concerns are frequently expressed about the nonlinear nature, experimental difficulty, and reliability of the technique. To allay some of these objections, the dependence of intracavity absorption on factors such as transition strength, concentration, absorber path length, and pump power has been investigated experimentally for a cw dye laser with a narrowband absorber (NO/sub 2/). For this case a Beer-Lambert type relationship has been confirmed over a useful range of these parameters. The extent of intracavity absorption was quantitatively measured directly from the dye laser spectral profiles and, when compared to extracavity measurements, indicated enhancements as high as 12,000 for pump powers near lasing threshold. By defining an intracavity absorption coefficient, it was possible to demonstrate the reliability of the method by obtaining accurate transition strength ratios.

• Research Organization: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, Astrochemistry Branch, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771
• OSTI ID: 6223448
• Journal Information: Appl. Opt.; (United States), Journal Name: Appl. Opt.; (United States) Vol. 26:17; ISSN APOPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
DYE LASERS
KINETICS
LASER CAVITIES
LASERS
LINE BROADENING
LIQUID LASERS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
REACTION KINETICS
SPECTROSCOPY
TESTING