RESUMEN
A method for measuring resonances using a combination of third-harmonic generation and frequency-domain interferometry is described and demonstrated in an index-matched dielectric material. The phase of the third-harmonic spectrum of a pulse generated from a resonant NdAlO(3) thin film and a temporally displaced sapphire substrate pulse was measured by analyzing the spectral interference pattern. The appropriate combination of substrate and film signals was obtained by translating the sample through the laser focus while observing the third-harmonic intensity.
RESUMEN
The design of a pulsed wavemeter to monitor the high-precision tuning of pulsed (as well as cw) laser sources is presented. This device is developed from a combination of silver-coated Fabry-Perot etalons with various plate spacings. These etalons provide stepwise refinement of the wavelength to be measured. The wavemeter is controlled by a computer through a CAMAC interface, which measures the absolute wavelength in the visible with an accuracy of 2 parts in 10(8). The time required for data acquisition and computation to measure the refined wavelength with a single 2-MHz CPU is less than 100 ms. We describe the calibration of the instrument over the wavelength range 400-850 nm. We obtain the required calibration lines by locking lasers on hyperfine transitions of iodine, uranium, rubidium, and cesium. Methods to reduce the number of calibration lines required for calibration of the system are described. The expected wavelength-dependent phase shift of the silver coatings is compared with that measured for the etalon following calibration. The differences are larger than expected because of either optical aberations or the use of centroids to measure the fringe position.
RESUMEN
Anarrow-band, precisely tunable dye laser pumped by an injection-seeded YAG laser is described. The laser achieves an output of 100 mJ/pulse and 40% efficiency when one uses Rhodamine 6G dyes. The output pulse is Gaussian both in time and spatial profile. The laser oscillator employs an intracavity étalon that is repetitively pressure scanned over one free spectral range while the grating successively steps to consecutive étalon modes. We pressure scanned the étalon under computer control using a bellows. Methods are described for calibrating the tuning elements for absolute precision. We demonstrated that the laser has an absolute precision of ±0.4 pm over a 1.0-nm scan. This accuracy is achievable over the wavelength range of a dye.
RESUMEN
Several techniques are described that compensate for the pulse-to-pulse laser fluctuations that occur when small absorption or gain measurements are taken with pulsed lasers. The best approach tested used two matched diodes that were mounted in a bridge circuit with their bias batteries. One diode was illuminated by a single beam, and a second was illuminated by a reference beam. The bridge circuit output forms the difference in the two laser intensities. Using pulsed lasers with 8-ns widths, we observed that the error in subtraction was 0.01% of the pulse area. This was only 1.5 times the shot noise of the pulses. The technique is examined for application to Raman-induced Kerr-effect spectroscopy, in which difficulties arise because of the use of polarization-sensitive detection.
RESUMEN
A multipass, Brewster prism monochromator that is an effective laser beam separator is described. Fourteen passes through the prism of the monochromator produce a resolution of 4 cm(-1) with a throughput of 63%. Larger throughputs are obtained for fewer passes and a poorer resolution. The device is tunable and has an extinction coefficient of 2 x 10(-8) at a detuning of 200 cm(-1). It promises to be an important tool for coherent Raman spectroscopy.
