Laser-excited fluorescence of perylene by using self-induced second-harmonic and sum-frequency radiation emanating from high-power AlGaAs double hetero-type diodes

Abstract

High-power (12 W) pulse-operated AlGaAs double-heterostructure lasers with a large thickness of the active layer (1.5 µm) are able to produce internal second-harmonic and sum-frequency generation with a peak power of 10 mW. The corresponding portion of the electroluminescence spectra has a maximum at 405 nm. Clearly resolved mode structures of the fundamental and harmonic radiation are analysed in detail. Particular transverse modes exhibit different conversion efficiencies. Violet resonances without modal precursors in the infrared spectrum make a marked contribution to the light intensity. The harmonic signal serves as an excitation source in photoluminescence studies. A technique of single-photon counting is applied in order to perform spectral measurements under weak-intensity levels. Bright fluorescence spectra of saturated solution of perylene ino-xylene are presented. The spectrum obtained when the solution is illuminated with a gas discharge lamp shows no differences with respect to the positions of the intensity peaks. This allows us to suggest that AlGaAs high-power lasers can be used as convenient excitation sources in photophysics, in particular in time-resolved experiments.