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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Small signal gain in DPAL systems

Kristin L. Galbally-Kinney, Daniel L. Maser, William J. Kessler, Wilson T. Rawlins, Steven J. Davis

Published Feb 10, 2011• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

In this paper we describe a platform for small signal gain measurements for alkali atom laser systems based on the DPAL excitation method. We present initial results that clearly show the transition from absorption on the alkali atom D1 lines in Cs and Rb to optical transparency and positive gain. The achievement of optical gain is critically dependent upon alkali cell conditions and collision partners. We also present the first spatially resolved gain measurements in a DPAL system. The small signal gain methods described will be valuable tools for power scaling of these laser systems.

DOI
10.1117/12.877272

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Optics Express•Nov 26, 2019•11 citations
In this paper we describe a platform for small signal gain measurements for alkali atom laser systems based on the DPAL excitation method. We present initial results that clearly show the transition from absorption on the alkali atom D1 lines in Cs and Rb to optical transparency and positive gain. The achievement of optical gain is critically dependent upon alkali cell conditions and collision partners. We also present the first spatially resolved gain measurements in a DPAL system. The small signal gain methods described will be valuable tools for power scaling of these laser systems.
Diode-pumped alkali laser (DPAL) technology offers a means of achieving high-energy gas laser output through optical pumping of the D-lines of Cs, Rb, and K. The exciplex effect, based on weak attractive forces between alkali atoms and polarizable rare gas atoms (Ar, Kr, Xe), provides an alternative approach via broadband excitation of exciplex precursors (XPAL). In XPAL configurations, we have observed multi-quantum excitation within the alkali manifolds which result in infrared emission lines between 1 and 4 μm. The observed excited states include the 42FJ states of both Cs and Rb, which are well above the two-photon energy of the excitation laser in each case. We have observed fluorescence from multi-quantum states for excitation wavelengths throughout the exciplex absorption bands of Cs-Ar, Cs-Kr, and Cs-Xe. The intensity scaling is roughly first-order or less in both pump power and alkali concentration, suggesting a collisional energy pooling excitation mechanism. Collisional up-pumping appears to present a parasitic loss term for optically pumped atomic systems at high intensities, however there may also be excitation of other lasing transitions at infrared wavelengths.
The alkali atom concentration plays an important role in the performance of a diode pumped alkali vapor laser (DPAL). At the rubidium DPAL operational region, the alkali concentration is as high as 1 0 13 − 1 0 14 c m − 3 , which is “optically thick,” or opaque, for the 780 nm or 795 nm doublet D lines when the traditional scanning absorption spectrum method is used for concentration measurement. To solve this problem, we propose the use of a probe laser of 420 nm, which corresponds to the 5 2 S 1 / 2 to 6 2 P 3 / 2 transition and has a lower absorption cross section compared to the D-line doublet. Due to the moderate absorption strength at a fixed 420 nm probe wavelength, we realized fast, online measurement of the Rb concentration in a real-world DPAL. By combining it with the quasi-two-level model, we further provided the population distribution in the lower three energy levels. This fast, online diagnostic method could be well applied in DPAL concentration measurement, and could show the dynamics of a laser’s performance.
Abstract : The Doppler-broadened two-photon absorption (TPA) cross-section for the 52S1/2- 52D5/2 transition in Rb is measured using direct absorption methods. A detailed model of the intensity profile was developed to account for a focused Gaussian beam propagating through a two-photon absorption medium. A peak absorbance of 24% was observed for an intensity of 6.28 kW/cm2 at the focus, a Rb density of 4.6 x 1015 cm-3 concentrations from 1.61-8.52 x 10(15) cm-3 line. Extracting the hyperfine-broadened TPA cross-section from 87 test configurations, while varying the pump power, alkali concentration and focal length, yielded an error weighted average of 6.75x10-21 cm4/W. This cross-section is sufficient for a pulsed dye laser to bleach the pump transition in the Two-Photon Pumped Alkali Laser (TPAL) that lases at 420 nm and 5.2 mum. Additionally, optically pumped atomic rubidium lasers pumped in the blue satellite of the D2 line from the ground Rb-Ar or Rb-Kr collision pair to the dissociative B2 sum 1/2 produce laser emission at 780.2 nm. Lasing is achieved for the Rb-Ar system and 757.1 - 760.4 nm for the Rb-Kr system. Slope efficiencies exceed 0.25% using a heat pipe configuration. The gain is very high with photon build-up times of 1-3.7 ns.
(F = 4) to obtain an efficient diode-pumped alkali amplifier (DPAA). To realize highly efficient optical gain conditions, both the spatial modes of the pump and signal lasers are made to overlap in the Cs vapor cell with the use of a single-mode optical fiber. An amplification factor of 430 ± 15 is achieved under the following conditions: cell temperature of 90 °C, signal power of 0.1 mW, and pump power of 200 mW. We believe that our results can aid in the development of highly efficient diode-pumped alkali-vapor lasers and amplifiers.