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Journal of Physics Conference Series

Towards Lasing Without Inversion in Neutral Mercury

Benjamin Rein, Martin R. Sturm, R. Walser, Thomas Walther

Published Mar 18, 2015• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Currently, we are implementing a lasing without inversion (LWI) scheme in mercury based on calculations by Fry et al. [1]. A recent detailed analysis predicting exact experimental parameters shows the feasibility of our LWI scheme [2]. In this paper we report on the progress of our experiment and compare its parameters with the prior analysis.

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/594/1/012007

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Currently, we are implementing a lasing without inversion (LWI) scheme in mercury based on calculations by Fry et al. [1]. A recent detailed analysis predicting exact experimental parameters shows the feasibility of our LWI scheme [2]. In this paper we report on the progress of our experiment and compare its parameters with the prior analysis.
Doppler-free three-photon coherence effects at a wavelength of 253.7nm253.7\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}253.7nm were observed in thermal mercury vapor. The experimental results are compared to simulations based on a detailed theoretical model reproducing the measured effects. Based on these results, we show by simulations that amplification without inversion in our setup is feasible, paving the way towards lasing without inversion in mercury.
Abstract Lasing without inversion is a compelling method based on the generation of coherences between atomic levels in order to produce UV radiation. While the proof-of-principle of this scheme has been shown for several decades, so far no radiation at a significant shorter wavelength than the necessary drive fields has been observed. In a recent publication Rein et al (2022 Phys. Rev. A 105 023722) have made experimental progress towards this goal. In this paper, we investigate the necessary improvements to their setup and discuss the experimental steps taken to achieve those goals. Specifically, we report on the improvement with respect to the laser sources.
This review paper is devoted to amplification and lasing without population inversion involving atomic transitions in gas media. We start by discussing the main motivation in inversionless lasing research, namely, the generation of short-wavelength laser light. Then, we review the basic physics of inversionless lasing in two-level and, eventually, in three- and multilevel atomic configurations. Finally, we summarize the current state of the art of LWI experiments and indicate the main difficulties with respect to short-wavelength laser generation.
Lasing without inversion (LWI) in the extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) has been the focus of recent research of our Princeton/Texas group. Because of the restriction imposed on the decay rates associated with the usual LWI schemes, it is difficult to transfer the physics gleaned from previous experiments to the XUV. However, with the advent of tunable-ultrashort-high-power laser pulses, we find that the possibility of transient LWI holds promise for a different LWI paradigm in which the lasing is based on forbidden and/or virtual transitions. It is the purpose of the present paper to present simple but (hopefully) convincing arguments and suggest realistic experiments to stimulate interest in this idea.