Frequency conversion of radiation of IR molecular gas lasers in nonlinear crystals (A review)

Abstract

The solution of problems related, e.g., to transport of laser radiation in the atmosphere requires availability of a broadband IR laser source operating in the transparency windows of the atmosphere. In this review, we present the results of an investigation of the properties of a hybrid laser system consisting of molecular gas pump lasers and a solid-state laser frequency converter based on nonlinear crystals. We demonstrate broadening and enrichment of spectrum of radiation of the pump laser by means of sum- and difference-frequency generation. In particular, by using a relatively simple laser system consisting of gas-discharge CO and CO2 lasers, radiation tunable over a large number of spectral lines in a broad range of wavelength from 2.5 to 16.6 µm (more than two and a half octaves), which includes two transparency windows of the atmosphere, is obtained. Thus, the possibility of exploring the IR spectral range by means of hybrid laser systems based on frequency conversion of radiation of molecular gas lasers is demonstrated.