Enhanced generation of vacuum-ultraviolet radiation by four-wave mixing in mercury using pulsed laser vaporization

Abstract

The efficiency of a coherent vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) source at 125 nm, based on two-photon resonant four-wave mixing in mercury vapor, has been enhanced by up to two orders of magnitude. This enhancement was obtained by locally heating a liquid mercury surface with a pulsed excimer laser, resulting in a high-density vapor plume in which the nonlinear interaction occurred. Energies up to 5 μJ (1 kW peak power) have been achieved while keeping the overall mercury cell at room temperature, avoiding the use of a complex heat pipe. We have observed a strong saturation of the VUV yield when peak power densities of the fundamental beams exceeded the GW/cm2 range, as well as a large intensity-dependent broadening (up to ∼ 30 cm-1) of the two-photon resonance. The source has potential applications for high-resolution interference lithography and photochemistry.