Solid hydrogen Raman shifter for the mid-infrared range (4.4-8 microm)

Kirill E Kuyanov; Takamasa Momose; Andrey F Vilesov

doi:10.1364/ao.43.006023

Solid hydrogen Raman shifter for the mid-infrared range (4.4-8 microm)

Appl Opt. 2004 Nov 10;43(32):6023-9. doi: 10.1364/ao.43.006023.

Authors

Kirill E Kuyanov¹, Takamasa Momose, Andrey F Vilesov

Affiliation

¹ Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.

PMID: 15587733
DOI: 10.1364/ao.43.006023

Abstract

We developed a pulsed, continuously tunable laboratory laser source for the mid-infrared spectral range of 4.4-8 microm, which is characterized by the spectral linewidth of 0.4 cm(-1). The device is based on the stimulated backward Raman scattering in solid para-hydrogen at T = 4 K. It is pumped by a focused beam obtained from a commercial near-infrared optical parametric oscillator with output energy of approximately 20 mJ (7-ns pulse). Output energies range from 1.7 mJ at 4.4 microm to 120 microJ at 8 microm, which correspond to quantum efficiencies of 0.53 and 0.08, respectively. Spectra of NO, H2O, and CH4 molecules in the mid-infrared were recorded. The operation of the Raman cell pumped with 532-nm radiation was also studied.