Diode Pumped Alkali Laser Research Articles

Multi-transverse mode operation of alkali vapor lasers: modeling and comparison with experiments

In high-power diode pumped alkali lasers with stable resonators the radius of the pump beam is usually larger than that of the fundamental laser mode and thus several high order transverse modes of the resonator can participate in the lasing. A simple optical model of multi-transverse mode operation of alkali vapor lasers is reported. The model is based on calculations of the pump and laser beam intensities in the gain medium, where the laser beam intensity is a linear combination of the azimuthally-symmetric Laguerre-Gaussian modes. It was applied to Ti:Sapphire and diode pumped cesium vapor lasers. The model predicts that for low pump power only the fundamental lasing mode oscillates. However, for higher pump powers several transverse modes participate in oscillation. The number and intensities of the oscillating modes as a function of the pump beam power and radius were found. The model predicts linear dependence of the laser power on the pump power, the values of the former being in agreement with the experimental results obtained for diode pumped cesium laser [Electron. Lett.44, 582 (2008)]. The mode-matching efficiency for the multi-transverse mode lasing is ~0.8 - 0.85 which means that in this case almost complete overlap of the laser and pump beams takes place. The laser beam quality factorM2increases with increasing pump power from 1 at the threshold power to 5-6 at maximum values of the pump power resulting in lower beam quality at high powers.

Modeling of Flowing-Gas Diode-Pumped Potassium Laser With Different Pumping Geometries: Scaling Up and Controlling Beam Quality

Comprehensive analysis of the performance and beam quality of flowing-gas K diode-pumped alkali lasers (DPALs) with different pumping geometries, using 3-D computational fluid dynamics model, is presented. Recently, flowing-gas K DPAL with an output power of ~2 kW was reported and there is interest in developing multi-kilowatt DPALs. To study the possibility of scaling up the K DPAL, the model is applied to 100-kW class device with transverse and end pumping geometry. Dependence of the output power on the flow velocity and the pumping geometry is studied. Comparison between end and transverse pumping schemes shows that the output power is almost unaffected by the pumping geometry. However, the spatial intensity distribution of the output laser beam depends on the pumping geometry: it is uniform for the end pumping, whereas for the transverse pumping, it is strongly non-uniform at high gas temperature (corresponding to large density of K atoms), becoming more uniform with temperature reduction to an optimal value below which the output power begins to fall. The model is applied to the evaluation of the beam quality of flowing-gas K DPALs, which strongly depends on the refractive index distribution in the gain medium. The beam divergence and the width of the intensity profile in the far field for the end pumping appear to be much smaller than for the transverse pumping. Wave front corrections of the transversely pumped device using cylindrical lens result in substantial reduction of the laser beam divergence and improvement of its quality, which becomes comparable with that of the end pumped laser.

Amplified spontaneous emission of an end-pumped cesium vapor laser

Diode pumped alkali lasers (DPALs) provide a significant potential for construction of high-powered lasers. A series of models have been established to analyze the DPAL’s kinetic process and most of them are based on the algorithms in which the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) effect has not been considered. However, ASE is harmful in realization of a high-powered DPAL since the gain is very high. Usually, ASE becomes serious when the volume of the gain medium is large and the pump power is high. Basically, the conclusions we obtained in this study can be extended to other kinds of laser configurations.

Algorithm for Evaluation of Temperature 3D-Distribution of a Vapor Cell in a Diode End-pumped Alkali Laser System

We develop a new 3D-model to evaluate the light characteristics and the thermal features of a cesium-vapor laser end-pumped by a laser diode. The theoretical model is based on the principles of both heat transfer and laser kinetics. The 3-dimensional population density distribution and temperature distribution are both systematically obtained and analyzed. The methodology is thought to be useful for realization of a high-powered diode-pumped alkali laser (DPAL) in the future.

Role of adiabaticity in controlling alkali-metal fine-structure mixing induced by rare gases

The collision cross sections for alkali-metal--rare-gas spin orbit mixing between the ${n}^{2}{P}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{n}^{2}{P}_{1/2}$ levels trend strongly with the Massey parameter, or adiabaticity of the collisions. The strength of the interaction, as characterized by the ${C}_{6}$ dispersion coefficient, is a secondary influence on the rates. An analytic expression for the probability of energy transfer in alkali-metal--rare-gas collisions is derived using time-dependent perturbation theory. The model agrees well with a broad literature survey of the observed temperature-dependent cross sections. A simple interaction potential successfully organizes the alkali-metal--rare-gas database. The rates become very large for high-lying states, as the collisions are quite sudden and the radius of the valence electron is large. In contrast, the highly adiabatic cesium ${6}^{2}P$ mixing rates are six to eight orders of magnitude smaller. The mixing rate for the Rb-He diode pumped alkali laser system varies from $0.20--1.53\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}\mathrm{cm}{}^{3}/\mathrm{at}.\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{s}$ for $T=279--893\phantom{\rule{0.222222em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$.

Ionization degree measurement in the gain medium of a hydrocarbon-free rubidium vapor laser operating in pulsed and CW modes.

Although the diode pumped alkali laser (DPAL) works in a three-level scheme, higher energy-state excitation and ionization processes exist during operation, which may lead to deleterious effects on laser performance. In this paper, we report the ionization degree measurement in the gain medium of an operational hydrocarbon-free Rb DPAL by using the optogalvanic method. The results show that, at the pulsed mode with a duration of ~1 ms, a maximal ionization degree of ~0.06% is obtained at a pump power of 140 W. While in the CW mode, the plasma reaches an ionization degree as high as ~2% at a pump power of 110 W, which is mainly due to the enough time for sufficient plasma development. A comparison with our previous work [Opt. Lett.39, 6501 (2014)] as well as modeling results is made and discussed. The influences of different population transfer channels on laser performance are simulated and analyzed. The results show that, for a typical hydrocarbon-free Rb laser (pump intensity of 15 kW/cm2, helium pressure of 10 atm and cell temperature of 438 K), all the high-energy excitation effects give an overall negative influence on laser efficiency of ~3.78%, while the top two influencing channels are the photoionization (~1.8%) and the energy pooling (~1.53%). The work in this paper experimentally reveals the influence of the macroscopic ionization evolution process on an operational DPAL for the first time, which would be helpful for a more comprehensive understanding of the physics in DPALs.

Real-time measurement of temperature rise in a pulsed diode pumped rubidium vapor laser by potassium tracing atom based absorption spectroscopy

In this paper, we first propose and demonstrate a novel tracing atom based absorption spectroscopy method for the real-time measurement of the temperature rise inside the pump region of a pulsed diode pumped alkali laser (DPAL). By artificially adding potassium atoms into the gain medium of an operational rubidium laser, the information of the temperature rise can be obtained from the variation of the potassium absorption signal. Some important influencing factors are studied. Typical results show that, as the pump power (2 ms duration) increases from 22 W to 92 W, the temperature rise increases from 103 K to 227 K. As the pulse duration increases from 1ms to 5 ms, the temperature rise increases from 128 K to 314 K, and the heat relaxation time increases from 3.8 ms to 8.1 ms. The method is favored for its ability for real-time detection and high sensitivity, which provides a useful way for DPAL diagnostics.

Optimization of physical conditions for a diode-pumped cesium vapor laser.

A diode-pumped alkali laser (DPAL) is thought to provide the significant promise for construction of high-powered lasers in the future. To examine the kinetic processes of the gas-state media (cesium vapor in this study), a mathematical model is developed while the processes including normal 3-enegry-level transition, energy pooling, and ionization are taken into account in this report. The procedures of heat transfer and laser kinetics are combined together in creating the model. We systemically investigate the influences of the temperature, cell length, and cell radius on the output features of a diode-pumped cesium vapor laser. By optimizing these key factors, the optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of a DPAL can be obviously improved. Additionally, the decrease of the output power due to energy pooling and ionization is also shrunk from 1.63% to 0.37% with the pump power of 200 W after optimization. It suggests that the effects of energy pooling and ionization should be decreased apparently under the optimal conditions. Basically, the conclusions we obtained in this study can be extended to other kinds of end-pumped laser configurations.

Methane-based in situ temperature rise measurement in a diode-pumped rubidium laser.

We measured active zone temperature rise of an operational diode-pumped rubidium laser non-perturbatively with methane-based near-infrared tunable diode laser spectroscopy (TDLAS). For a Rb+ methane diode-pumped alkali laser (DPAL), the temperature rise was obtained. Especially, the temperature differences (∼10 K) between lasing and un-lasing cases were well identified, which demonstrated a high sensitivity of the method. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of extending the methane-based TDLAS method to DPAL study.

Laser power, cell temperature, and beam quality dependence on cell length of static Cs DPAL

The influence of cell length of a static diode-pumped Cs laser on laser power, gain medium temperature, and laser beam quality is studied theoretically using a 3D time-dependent computational fluid dynamics model where Gaussian spatial shapes of the pump and laser intensities in any cross section of the beams are assumed. Reasonable agreement with power measurements in a static diode-pumped alkali laser (DPAL) with 20 mm cell length [Electron. Lett.44, 582 (2008)ELLEAK0013-519410.1049/el:20080728] is obtained. It is shown that the gain medium temperature rise caused by the pump beam absorption can be decreased by increasing the length of the alkali cell and that, for given conditions, there is an optimal cell length corresponding to maximum laser power. At ∼100 W pump power the optimum cell length of ∼50−60 mm is larger than the 20 mm length usually used in DPAL experiments. The increase of the cell length from 20 to 60 mm results in decrease of the gain medium temperature rise by 100–150°K, making it possible to avoid degradation of the laser power due to chemical reactions in the gain medium. Laser beam quality in terms of Strehl ratio was calculated as a function of pump power and length of the DPAL cell and found to decrease as the DPAL cell length is increased. It is shown that the wavefront corrections result in substantial increase of the Strehl ratio and hence in improvement of the laser beam quality.

Plasma formation in diode pumped alkali lasers sustained in Cs

In diode pumped alkali lasers (DPALs), lasing action occurs on the resonant lines of alkali atoms following pumping by broadband semiconductor lasers. The goal is to convert the efficient but usually poor optical quality of inexpensive diode lasers into the high optical quality of atomic vapor lasers. Resonant excitation of alkali vapor leads to plasma formation through the excitation transfer from the 2P states to upper lying states, which then are photoionized by the pump and intracavity radiation. A first principles global model was developed to investigate the operation of the He/Cs DPAL system and the consequences of plasma formation on the efficiency of the laser. Over a range of pump powers, cell temperatures, excitation frequency, and mole fraction of the collision mixing agent (N2 or C2H6), we found that sufficient plasma formation can occur that the Cs vapor is depleted. Although N2 is not a favored collisional mixing agent due to large rates of quenching of the 2P states, we found a range of pump parameters where laser oscillation may occur. The poor performance of N2 buffered systems may be explained in part by plasma formation. We found that during the operation of the DPAL system with N2 as the collisional mixing agent, plasma formation is in excess of 1014–1015 cm−3, which can degrade laser output intensity by both depletion of the neutral vapor and electron collisional mixing of the laser levels.

Theoretical modeling and experimental demonstration of Raman probe induced spectral dip for realizing a superluminal laser.

We have demonstrated experimentally a Diode-Pumped Alkali Laser (DPAL) with a Raman resonance induced dip in the center of the gain profile, in order to produce an anomalous dispersion, necessary for making the laser superluminal. Numerical calculations match closely with experimental results, and indicate that the laser is operating superluminally, with the group index far below unity (~0.00526) at the center of the dip. The estimated factor of enhancement in the sensitivity to cavity length perturbation is ~190, approximately equaling the inverse of the group index. This enhancement factor can be made much higher via optimal tuning of parameters. Such a laser has the potential to advance significantly the field of high-precision metrology, with applications such as vibrometry, accelerometry, and rotation sensing.

Electron collisions with atoms, ions, molecules, and surfaces: Fundamental science empowering advances in technology

Electron collisions with atoms, ions, molecules, and surfaces are critically important to the understanding and modeling of low-temperature plasmas (LTPs), and so in the development of technologies based on LTPs. Recent progress in obtaining experimental benchmark data and the development of highly sophisticated computational methods is highlighted. With the cesium-based diode-pumped alkali laser and remote plasma etching of Si3N4 as examples, we demonstrate how accurate and comprehensive datasets for electron collisions enable complex modeling of plasma-using technologies that empower our high-technology–based society.

Influence of the pump-to-laser beam overlap on the performance of optically pumped cesium vapor laser.

Experimental and theoretical study of the influence of the pump-to-laser beam overlap, a crucial parameter for optimization of optically pumped alkali atom lasers, is reported for Ti:Sapphire pumped Cs laser. Maximum laser power > 370 mW with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 43% and slope efficiency ~55% was obtained. The dependence of the lasing power on the pump power was found for different pump beam radii at constant laser beam radius. Non monotonic dependence of the laser power (optimized over the temperature of the Cs cell) on the pump beam radius was observed with a maximum achieved at the ratio ~0.7 between the pump and laser beam radii. The optimal temperature decreased with increasing pump beam radius. A simple optical model of the laser, where Gaussian spatial shapes of the pump and laser intensities in any cross section of the beams were assumed, was compared to the experiments. Good agreement was obtained between the measured and calculated dependence of the laser power on the pump power at different pump beam radii and also of the laser power, threshold pump power and optimal temperature on the pump beam radius. The model does not use empirical parameters such as mode overlap efficiency and can be applied to different Ti:Sapphire and diode pumped alkali lasers with arbitrary spatial distributions of the pump and laser beam widths.

Experimental study of the Cs diode pumped alkali laser operation with different buffer gases

Cs diode pumped alkali laser (DPAL) operation using ethane, methane, and mixtures of these hydrocarbons with the noble gases He and Ar as a buffer gas for spin–orbit relaxation was studied in this work. The best Cs DPAL performance in continuous wave operation with flowing gain medium was achieved using pure methane, pure ethane, or a mixture of ethane (minimum of 200 Torr) and He with a total buffer gas pressure of 300 Torr.

Flowing-gas diode pumped alkali lasers: theoretical analysis of transonic vs supersonic and subsonic devices.

We examine transonic diode pumped alkali laser (DPAL) devices as a simpler alternative to supersonic devices, suggested by B.D. Barmashenko and S. Rosenwaks [Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 141108 (2013)], where complex hardware, including supersonic nozzle, diffuser and high power mechanical pump, is required for continuous closed cycle operation. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics modeling of transonic (Mach number M ~0.9) Cs and K DPALs, taking into account the kinetic processes in the lasing medium is reported. The performance of these lasers is compared with that of supersonic (M ~2.5) and subsonic (M ~0.2) DPALs. For Cs DPAL the maximum achievable power of transonic device is lower than that of supersonic, with the same resonator and Cs density at the laser section inlet, by only ~3% implying that supersonic operation mode has only small advantage over transonic. On the other hand, for subsonic laser the maximum power is by 7% lower than in transonic, showing larger advantage of transonic over subsonic operation mode. The power achieved in supersonic and transonic K DPALs is higher than in subsonic by ~80% and ~20%, respectively, showing a considerable advantage of supersonic device over transonic and of transonic over subsonic.

Low-pressure cesium and potassium diode pumped alkali lasers: pros and cons

This paper presents the results of our experiments on a comparative study of cesium and potassium diode pumped alkali lasers (DPALs) aimed to determine which of these two lasers has more potential to scale to high powers. For both lasers, we have chosen a “low-pressure DPAL approach,” which uses buffer gas pressure of about 1 atm for spin-orbit mixing of the excited states of alkali atoms to provide population inversion in the gain medium. The goal of this study was to determine power-limiting effects, which affect the performance of these DPALs, and find out how these limiting effects can be mitigated. We studied the performance of both lasers in CW and pulsed modes using both static and flowing gain medium and pump with different pulse duration. We observed output power degradation in time from the initial value to the level corresponding to the CW mode of operation. As a result of this study, some essential positive and negative features of both DPALs were revealed, which should be taken into account for power-scaling experiments.

Deleterious processes of a diode-pumped cesium vapor hollow-core photonic-crystal fiber laser

A diode-pumped alkali laser (DPAL) provides the significant promise for high-powered performances. In this paper, a mathematical model is introduced for examination of the kinetic processes of a diode-pumped cesium vapor hollow-core photonic-crystal fiber (HC-PCF) laser, in which the cesium vapor is filled in the center hole of a photonic-bandgap fiber instead of a glass cell. The influence of deleterious processes including energy pooling, photo-ionization, and Penning ionization on the physical features of a fiber DPAL is studied in this report. It has been theoretically demonstrated that the deleterious processes cannot be ignored in a high-powered fiber-DPAL system.

Influence of energy pooling and ionization on physical features of a diode-pumped alkali laser.

In recent years, a diode-pumped alkali laser (DPAL) has become one of the most hopeful candidates to achieve the high power performance. A series of models have been established to analyze the DPAL's kinetic process and most of them were based on the algorithms in which only the ideal 3-level system was considered. In this paper, we developed a systematic model by taking into account the influence of excitation of neutral alkali atoms to even-higher levels and their ionization on the physical features of a static DPAL. The procedures of heat transfer and laser kinetics were combined together in our theoretical model. By using such a theme, the continuous temperature and number density distribution have been evaluated in the transverse section of a cesium vapor cell. The calculated results indicate that both energy pooling and ionization play important roles during the lasing process. The conclusions might deepen the understanding of the kinetic mechanism of a DPAL.

Intensity scaling of an optically pumped potassium laser

A pulsed, optically pumped potassium laser has been demonstrated with output intensity exceeding 7MW/cm2. By using a surrogate pump, heat pipe gain cell, and helium pressure of 2500Torr, the intensity of Diode Pumped Alkali Lasers (DPAL) has been increased by a factor of 38. Bottlenecking due to slow fine structure mixing can be avoided without hydrocarbon buffer gases with as many as 375 lasing photons obtained per potassium atom following a 7.4ns pump pulse. A slope efficiency of 9.4% is achieved and primarily limited by a mismatch between pumped and cavity mode volumes. Laser performance is well described by a three-level, longitudinally averaged model without ionization.