Study of two-photon resonant four-wave sum mixing in xenon in the spectral region of 105–110 nm

Abstract

The two-photon resonant four-wave sum and difference mixing in Xe gaseous medium was studied by subjecting a variety of molecular samples, including acetone, furan, thiophene, triethylamine, and dimethylsilacyclobutane, to the coherent radiation sources produced from the four-wave mixing processes for ionization. Ionization of all samples studied showed similar behavior and is due to the laser radiation from four-wave sum mixing. It is demonstrated that in a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectral region of 105–110 nm four-wave sum mixing in Xe can only occur in five discontinued regions, all of which are to the blue of a Xe atomic transition. The peak positions and widths of the five spectral regions were characterized. Study of the triethylamine sample with its ionization energy lower than the photon energy of the VUV radiation from the difference mixing illustrated the competition between the sum and difference mixing occurring simultaneously in the Xe gas cell.