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IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics

Active wavelength-shifting in atomic resonance filters

Jerry A. Gelbwachs

Published Jun 1, 1990• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Active wavelength-shifting is described as a method to expand the number of wavelengths at which atomic resonance filters operate. Optical pumping and exoergic collisional energy transfer are shown to be powerful wavelength-shifting techniques. Expressions have been derived for internal photon conversion efficiency in limiting cases. They are cast in forms that suggest simple branching ratio model equivalents. The photophysical models yield important insights into methods to obtain good photon conversion for even strongly absorbing levels. The results are applied to atomic resonance filters operating at intense Fraunhofer wavelengths.>

DOI
10.1109/3.108112

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Active wavelength shifting in atomic resonance filters

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Active wavelength-shifting is described as a method to expand the number of wavelengths at which atomic resonance filters operate. Optical pumping and exoergic collisional energy transfer are shown to be powerful wavelength-shifting techniques. Expressions have been derived for internal photon conversion efficiency in limiting cases. They are cast in forms that suggest simple branching ratio model equivalents. The photophysical models yield important insights into methods to obtain good photon conversion for even strongly absorbing levels. The results are applied to atomic resonance filters operating at intense Fraunhofer wavelengths. >

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Fast efficient Ca atomic resonance filter at 423 nm

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An optically pumped active Ca atomic resonance filter is demonstrated, applicable to background-limited optical communications through scatter channels. In pump saturation, the filter should detect 50% of the incident 423-nm signal power with an internal photon gain of 6 and a response time of 10 micros, 2 orders of magnitude faster than a passive Ca filter. Response time of 100 micros has been demonstrated, limited by available pump power. The filter maintains the wide field of view and reduced solar background associated with atomic absorption at the Ca Fraunhofer line while permitting higher data rate communications.

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Proposed Fraunhofer-wavelength atomic filter at 5349 nm

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A new atomic filter is proposed. It operates at 534.9 nm. The new filter offers two important advantages for openchannel laser communications. First, its wavelength matches the output of the frequency-doubled Nd:BEL laser. Second, the filter overlays a solar Fraunhofer line, thereby offering intrinsic sunlight suppression. Ultranarrowband optical filtering takes place within the singlet manifold of neutral-calcium vapor. Excellent filter properties are deduced from spectroscopic examination of the atomic system. A novel feature of the new filter is the potential for greater-than-unity internal photon conversion.

Optics Letters•Oct 15, 1990•7 citations
Active wavelength-shifting is described as a method to expand the number of wavelengths at which atomic resonance filters operate. Optical pumping and exoergic collisional energy transfer are shown to be powerful wavelength-shifting techniques. Expressions have been derived for internal photon conversion efficiency in limiting cases. They are cast in forms that suggest simple branching ratio model equivalents. The photophysical models yield important insights into methods to obtain good photon conversion for even strongly absorbing levels. The results are applied to atomic resonance filters operating at intense Fraunhofer wavelengths.>
Active wavelength-shifting is described as a method to expand the number of wavelengths at which atomic resonance filters operate. Optical pumping and exoergic collisional energy transfer are shown to be powerful wavelength-shifting techniques. Expressions have been derived for internal photon conversion efficiency in limiting cases. They are cast in forms that suggest simple branching ratio model equivalents. The photophysical models yield important insights into methods to obtain good photon conversion for even strongly absorbing levels. The results are applied to atomic resonance filters operating at intense Fraunhofer wavelengths. >
The atomic resonance filter (ARF) is an ultranarrowband (Q approximately 10/sup 5/-10/sup 6/), large-acceptance-angle, isotropic optical filter. These features make the device ideally suited for applications in which weak laser signals are detected against a continuum background. The filter properties arise from the physical processes of absorption, emission, and internal energy conversion in atomic vapors. The characteristics of the ARF are described and the underlying physics that governs the operation is discussed. Representative examples of passive, active, and IR filters are presented. A metastable ARF that offers improved solar background-limited performance by filtering signals at Fraunhofer wavelengths is described.>
The atomic resonance filter (ARF) is art ultra- high-Q (105–106) optical filter that is isotropic and insensitive to environmental factors and possesses a 180° acceptance angle.1 We are developing a novel ARF for satellite applications. Our filter operates in a Fraunhofer dip in the solar spectrum, thereby offering the key advantage of reduced solar background noise. Other important operational characteristics of the filter are: a projected conversion efficiency of blue-green light into the wavelength-shifted output light of ~90%, a 10-ns response time, and an output in the near UV, a spectral region that is efficiently detected by commercial large-area long-lived photomultiplier tubes.
An optically pumped active Ca atomic resonance filter is demonstrated, applicable to background-limited optical communications through scatter channels. In pump saturation, the filter should detect 50% of the incident 423-nm signal power with an internal photon gain of 6 and a response time of 10 micros, 2 orders of magnitude faster than a passive Ca filter. Response time of 100 micros has been demonstrated, limited by available pump power. The filter maintains the wide field of view and reduced solar background associated with atomic absorption at the Ca Fraunhofer line while permitting higher data rate communications.
A new atomic filter is proposed. It operates at 534.9 nm. The new filter offers two important advantages for openchannel laser communications. First, its wavelength matches the output of the frequency-doubled Nd:BEL laser. Second, the filter overlays a solar Fraunhofer line, thereby offering intrinsic sunlight suppression. Ultranarrowband optical filtering takes place within the singlet manifold of neutral-calcium vapor. Excellent filter properties are deduced from spectroscopic examination of the atomic system. A novel feature of the new filter is the potential for greater-than-unity internal photon conversion.