Resonantly enhanced method for generation of tunable, coherent vacuum ultraviolet radiation

Patent · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:865522

Glownia, James H ^[1]; Sander, Robert K ^[1]

---

1. Los Alamos, NM

Carbon Monoxide vapor is used to generate coherent, tunable vacuum ultraviolet radiation by third-harmonic generation using a single tunable dye laser. The presence of a nearby electronic level resonantly enhances the nonlinear susceptibility of this molecule allowing efficient generation of the vuv light at modest pump laser intensities, thereby reducing the importance of a six-photon multiple-photon ionization process which is also resonantly enhanced by the same electronic level but to higher order. By choosing the pump radiation wavelength to be of shorter wavelength than individual vibronic levels used to extend tunability stepwise from 154.4 to 124.6 nm, and the intensity to be low enough, multiple-photon ionization can be eliminated. Excitation spectra of the third-harmonic emission output exhibit shifts to shorter wavelength and broadening with increasing CO pressure due to phase matching effects. Increasing the carbon monoxide pressure, therefore, allows the substantial filling in of gaps arising from the stepwise tuning thereby providing almost continuous tunability over the quoted range of wavelength emitted.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4529944
• OSTI ID: 865522
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/359/
124
154
allowing
allows
arising
broadening
carbon
carbon monoxide
choosing
coherent
continuous
due
dye
dye laser
effects
efficient
electronic
eliminated
emission
emitted
enhanced
enhanced method
enhances
excitation
exhibit
extend
filling
gaps
generate
generate coherent
generation
harmonic generation
importance
increasing
individual
intensities
intensity
ionization
laser
laser intensities
level
levels
light
matching
method
modest
molecule
monoxide
monoxide pressure
multiple-photon
nearby
nm
nonlinear
output
phase
phase matching
presence
pressure
pressure due
process
providing
pump
pump laser
pump radiation
quoted
radiation
radiation wavelength
range
reducing
resonantly
resonantly enhanced
shifts
shorter
shorter wavelength
single
single tunable
six-photon
spectra
stepwise
substantial
susceptibility
third-harmonic
third-harmonic generation
tunability
tunable
tunable dye
tuning
ultraviolet
ultraviolet radiation
vacuum
vacuum ultraviolet
vapor
vibronic
vuv
vuv light
wavelength