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

Optical gain and excitation phenomena in optically pumped alkali atom-rare gas mixtures

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

Published Feb 1, 2012• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In this paper we present experimental results on several features of optically excited alkali atoms. We describe small signal gain measurements including spatially-resolved gain in atomic Cs. We discuss observations of numerous near- to mid-IR emissions from states that are higher in energy than the pump beam photons. Finally we outline a measurement scheme to determine the threshold pump intensities for two types of optically excited alkali lasers.

DOI
10.1117/12.912863

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Applied Physics Letters•Jun 22, 2009•42 citations
In this paper we present experimental results on several features of optically excited alkali atoms. We describe small
signal gain measurements including spatially-resolved gain in atomic Cs. We discuss observations of numerous near- to
mid-IR emissions from states that are higher in energy than the pump beam photons. Finally we outline a measurement
scheme to determine the threshold pump intensities for two types of optically excited alkali lasers.
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.
Optically pumped alkali vapor lasers are currently being developed in several laboratories. The objective is to construct high-powered lasers that also exhibit excellent beam quality. Considerable progress has been made, but there are technical challenges associated with the reactivity of the metal atoms. Rare gas atoms (Rg) excited to the np(5)(n+1)s (3)P(2) configuration are metastable and have spectral properties that are closely similar to those of the alkali metals. In principle, optically pumped lasers could be constructed using excitation of the np(5)(n+1)p←np(5)(n+1)s transitions. We have demonstrated this potential by observing gain and lasing for optically pumped Ar(*), Kr(*) and Xe(*). Three-level lasing schemes were used, with He or Ar as the collisional energy transfer agent that established the population inversion. These laser systems have the advantage of using inert reagents that are gases at room temperature.
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.
We describe a series of measurements of absorption and laser induced fluorescence on cells that contained cesium and rubidium and a rare gas: He, Ar, Kr, or Xe. These studies showed strong blue wing absorption to the short wavelength side of the alkali atom D2 lines due to collisionally formed Cs- or Rb-rare gas excimers. We also have observed an efficient two photon excitation of higher lying states in Cs and Rb that produces both intense blue emission and IR atomic emission in the 1.3 to 3.8 μm spectral region.
Lasing on the 62P1/2→62S1/2(D1) resonance transition of atomic Cs at 894.3 nm has been demonstrated in mixtures of Ar, ethane, and Cs vapor by the photoexcitation of ground state Cs-Ar collision pairs and subsequent dissociation of diatomic, electronically-excited CsAr molecules (exciplexes or excimers). The blue satellites of the alkali D2 lines provide a pathway for optically pumping atomic alkali lasers on the principal series (resonance) transitions with broad linewidth (>2 nm) semiconductor diode lasers. In this paper we discuss different variations of this new laser system and the experiments of the initial demonstration.
Photoassociation of alkali-rare gas atomic collision pairs provides an alternative approach to optically pumping atomic alkali lasers. Lasing on the 6 P21/2→6 S21/2 (D1) transition of Cs has been observed when the blue satellite of the 6 P23/2←6 S21/2 (D2) transition, peaking at ∼837 nm for mixtures of Cs vapor, Ar, and ethane, is pumped by a pulsed dye laser. For 50% output coupling, laser threshold with respect to absorbed pump energy is ∼40 μJ at T=435 K and the slope efficiency approaches 10%. The measured spectral breadth for the blue satellite (≳5 nm at 410 K) will accommodate cw pumping of the Cs laser with conventional semiconductor lasers.