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Applied Physics Letters

Continuous-wave mirrorless lasing in optically pumped atomic Cs and Rb vapors

Animesh Sharma, Natarajan D. Bhaskar, Yukai Lu, W. Happer

Published Aug 1, 1981• 58 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Continuous-wave lasing in optically pumped atomic cesium and rubidium vapor is observed without the use of any feedback mirrors. The stimulated emission in a number of infrared wavelengths is restricted to a very narrow angle in both the forward and backward directions.
DOI
10.1063/1.92681

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Abstract : Mirrorless lasing has been successfully demonstrated in a Rubidium heat pipe. Lasing was observed on the 6(2)P(sub 3/2)-6(2)S(sub 1/2) energy transition at 2.73 microns and on the 6(2)P(sub 1/2)-6(2)S(sub 1/2) transition at 2.79 microns. The transitions were optically pumped from 5(2)S(sub 1/2)-6(2)P(sub 3/2) at 420.2 nm and from 5(2)S(sub 1/2)-6(2)P(sub 1/2) at 421.7 nm, respectively. The 5(2)S(sub 1/2)-6(2)P(sub 3/2) transition was excited over a 36 GHz band, while the 5(2)S(sub 1/2)-6(2)P(sub 1/2) transition was excited over a 24 GHz band. Both pump transitions showed a high degree of saturation and only a small fraction (1%) of the incident pump energy was absorbed. Output energies of up to 5 nJ were obtained at 2.73 microns and of up to 5.4 nJ at 2.79 microns when pumped at pulse energies of 4 mJ. Both transitions experienced bleaching at this 4 mJ pump energy, limiting further IR output energy. Increasing rubidium concentration at bleached pump energies showed no increase in laser energy after 170 deg. C, likely due to second order processes. Slope efficiency for both transitions, however, increased linearly with rubidium concentration up to 11 x .000001 The addition of small amounts of argon, helium, and ethane (5-45 Torr) were found to fully quench lasing action on both transitions.

•Mar 1, 2013•0 citations
Population inversion on the 7S1/2− 6P3/2transition of cesium atoms is built by 455 nm diode laser pumping, and continuous-wave (cw) lasing is observed without the feedback on the gain medium from cavity mirrors. The stimulated emission at 1.47 µm infrared wavelength is restricted to a narrow angle along the direction of propagation of the pumping laser. Evidence of threshold-like characteristic is demonstrated in the cw mirrorless lasing dependence on pumping laser detuning, atomic density, and pumping light intensity. This compact structure can be used to generate mirrorless laser in a number of infrared wavelengths applied for the communication area. Moreover, it is expected to realize the narrow-linewidth optical frequency standard from an ultralow-finesse optical cavity.
We report on the studies of simultaneous continuous-wave mirrorless lasing on multiple optical transitions, realized by pumping hot cesium (Cs) vapor with laser light resonant with the 6S1/2→8P3/2 transition. The multiplicity of the decay paths for the excited atoms to their ground state is responsible for the emergence of lasing in a number of transitions, observed here in at least seven wavelengths in the infrared and at two wavelengths in the blue. We study the properties of the fields generated in the Cs vapor such as optical power, directionality, and optical linewidth.
We report on the studies of simultaneous continuous-wave mirrorless lasing on multiple optical transitions, realized by pumping hot cesium (Cs) vapor with laser light resonant with the 6S1/2→8P3/2 transition. The multiplicity of the decay paths for the excited atoms to their ground state is responsible for the emergence of lasing in a number of transitions, observed here in at least seven wavelengths in the infrared and at two wavelengths in the blue. We study the properties of the fields generated in the Cs vapor such as optical power, directionality, and optical linewidth.
Mirrorless lasers avoid cavity-pulling effects by generating stimulated emission directly from an atomic gain medium without an optical cavity. However, most superradiant or superfluorescent emissions are transient, limiting their use as steady atom-referenced optical sources. Here, we demonstrate a continuous-wave dual-wavelength mirrorless laser in thermal rubidium vapor. A frequency-stabilized 420 nm laser pumps the 5S1/2→6P3/2 transition and generates directional infrared lasing at 1323 and 1367 nm through the non-cascaded 6S1/2→5P1/2 and 6S1/2→5P3/2 transitions. The emissions exhibit threshold-like pump-power dependence and a near-fundamental transverse mode, supporting CW mirrorless laser in a traveling-wave atomic gain medium. Heterodyne detection gives a 1367 nm linewidth of 32.5 kHz, which is 38 times narrower than the natural linewidth. This work establishes a linewidth-narrowed, cavity-free, atom-referenced dual-wavelength laser platform for precision spectroscopy, optical frequency references, and quantum sensing.
Abstract : Mirrorless lasing has been successfully demonstrated in a Rubidium heat pipe. Lasing was observed on the 6(2)P(sub 3/2)-6(2)S(sub 1/2) energy transition at 2.73 microns and on the 6(2)P(sub 1/2)-6(2)S(sub 1/2) transition at 2.79 microns. The transitions were optically pumped from 5(2)S(sub 1/2)-6(2)P(sub 3/2) at 420.2 nm and from 5(2)S(sub 1/2)-6(2)P(sub 1/2) at 421.7 nm, respectively. The 5(2)S(sub 1/2)-6(2)P(sub 3/2) transition was excited over a 36 GHz band, while the 5(2)S(sub 1/2)-6(2)P(sub 1/2) transition was excited over a 24 GHz band. Both pump transitions showed a high degree of saturation and only a small fraction (1%) of the incident pump energy was absorbed. Output energies of up to 5 nJ were obtained at 2.73 microns and of up to 5.4 nJ at 2.79 microns when pumped at pulse energies of 4 mJ. Both transitions experienced bleaching at this 4 mJ pump energy, limiting further IR output energy. Increasing rubidium concentration at bleached pump energies showed no increase in laser energy after 170 deg. C, likely due to second order processes. Slope efficiency for both transitions, however, increased linearly with rubidium concentration up to 11 x .000001 The addition of small amounts of argon, helium, and ethane (5-45 Torr) were found to fully quench lasing action on both transitions.