Performance of an array of plasma pinches as a new optical pumping source for dye lasers

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1983 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.331935· OSTI ID:5509377

Rieger, H; Kim, K

A new optical pumping source consisting of an array of plasma pinches in the hypocycloidal-pinch geometry is employed to pump a variety of dye lasers. A dye cuvette is inserted along the symmetry axis of the plasma device such that it may be surrounded by the plasma pinch. The light from the plasma pinch is very intense and rich in ultraviolet, which makes it an attractive optical pumping source for dye lasers, particularly in the blue-green spectral region. Control of the plasma fluorescence is achieved by the choice of gas, its fill pressure, and the capacitor bank voltage and its stored energy. The rise time of this ''plasma flashlamp'' depends mainly on the gas species and the fill pressure. Output energy of approx.2 mJ per cm/sup 3/ of lasing medium, or 2 kW/cm/sup 3/ for a 1-..mu..s laser pulse, is obtained from rhodamine 6G, coumarin 480, LD 490, and coumarin 504 dyes. That both the coumarin 480 and rhodamine 6G lasers have the comparable output power is a direct proof that the present optical pumping source is more efficient than the commercial xenon flashlamps in pumping lasers in the blue-green spectral region.

• Research Organization: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801
• OSTI ID: 5509377
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Vol. 54:11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
DYE LASERS
OPTICAL PUMPING
PERFORMANCE
EFFICIENCY
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES
ENERGY
FLUORESCENCE
LASER RADIATION
PINCH EFFECT
PLASMA
POWER
RHODAMINES
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
AMINES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DYES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
LASERS
LIQUID LASERS
LUMINESCENCE
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PULSES
PUMPING
RADIATIONS
REAGENTS
420300* - Engineering- Lasers- (-1989)