Abstract
A pulsed, single longitudinal mode, wavelength-tunable Tm:YAP laser is reported. We demonstrate 1 kHz stable operation with 230 µJ, 50 ns pulses and a spectrum linewidth narrowed below 4 pm (FWHM) close to the Fourier transform limit by use of a volume Bragg grating and a YAG etalon. The output wavelength was tuned from 1940 to 1960 nm owing to a transverse chirp of the period of the Bragg grating.
Highlights
Tunable coherent sources emitting between 8 and 12 μm can be used for remote gas sensing thanks to the very distinctive absorption spectra of molecules and to the high transmission of atmosphere in this wavelength range
In Ref. [1] we showed that this spectral range could be covered using a nested cavity optical parametric oscillator (NesCOPO), based on an orientation-patterned GaAs crystal (OP-GaAs)
Translation of the TC-Volume Bragg Gratings (VBGs) over more than 20 mm corresponds to a tuning range of more than 20 nm, which is confirmed with an optical spectrum analyser
Summary
Tunable coherent sources emitting between 8 and 12 μm can be used for remote gas sensing thanks to the very distinctive absorption spectra of molecules and to the high transmission of atmosphere in this wavelength range. A SLM Tm:YAP laser passively Q-switched with a Cr:ZnSe saturable absorber and operating in the nanosecond regime was specially designed to pump the OP-GaAs NesCOPO [2]. This laser delivers 170 μJ per pulse at 1938.46 nm with a pulse duration of 36 ns at a repetition rate of 100 Hz. This laser delivers 170 μJ per pulse at 1938.46 nm with a pulse duration of 36 ns at a repetition rate of 100 Hz Despite this achievement, several improvements still appeared to be necessary. Energy upscaling could be achieved using a separate optical parametric amplifier, which preserves the spatial and spectral properties of the NesCOPO output beam To pump this amplifier, a more powerful SLM laser is required.
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