A chemically driven visible laser transition using fastnear-resonant energy transfer

Evidence is obtained which demonstrates the potential for developing purely chemical visible lasers based on rapid near-resonant energy transfer from metastable excited triplet states of germanium and silicon monoxide (a³Σ⁺,b ³Π) to select metal atoms. In this study, the Group IIIA metal atoms were chosen as the energy receptors for the energy transfer-pump sequence. Excited triplet states were generated from the Ge-O₃, Ge-N₂, Si-N₂O, and Si-NO₂ reactions; the bulk of the experimental results was obtained with a germanium-based system. The energy stored in the long-lived triplet states is transferred to pump X²P_1/2 thallium, indium, and gallium atoms to their lowest lying ² S_1/2 states. The authors observe a system of temporal behavior which suggests the creation of a population inversion producing a gain condition and forming the basis for full cavity oscillation on the Tl 7²S_1/2-6P _3/2 transition at 535 nm     

On the dynamics of population inversion for 3 μm Er3+lasers

A generalized model for 3-μm (⁴I_11/2 →⁴I_13/2)Er lasers is proposed. The essential energy transfer processes present in the single-doped Er ³⁺ systems (up-conversion from ⁴I_13/2, up-conversion from ⁴ I_11/2, cross-relaxation from ⁴S _3/2), as well as those present in Cr³⁺ codoped Er ³⁺ systems, are taken into account. In the frame of this model, the main features of 3 μm Er³⁺ lasers, such as long pulse or CW operation, the change of emission wavelength as a function of pumping conditions, and the effects of codoping with Ho³⁺ or Tm³⁺ ions, are explained     

A new organic electrooptic crystal:2,6-dibromo-N-methyl-4-nitroaniline (DBNMNA)

A new organic electrooptic crystal, 2,6-dibromo-N-methyl-4-nitroaniline, is reported. The crystal structure was determined by X-ray diffraction (orthorhombic, space group Fdd2, point group mm2, Z=16, a=11.745 Å, b=29.640 Å, c=10.807 Å). The refractive indexes were measured at several wavelengths between 500 and 1100 nm (at 632.8 nm, n_a=1.90, n_b=1.62, and n_c=1.48) and fit the data to a single oscillator Sellmeier equation. A report is presented on measurements of the linear electrooptic effect, yielding the combined coefficients n_a ³r₁₃-n_c³ r₃₃, as well as the first known measurements of the quadratic electrooptic effect in an organic crystal, yielding the coefficients r₄₂ and r₅₁ at 514.5, 632.8, and 810 nm. Good agreement is found between the observed dispersion in the electrooptic coefficients and that predicted by the simple two-level dispersion model     

Thermal shifts of the spectral lines in the 4F3/2 to 4I11/2 manifold of anNd:YAG Laser

A report is presented of the thermal shifts of eleven of the twelve lines from the ⁴F_3/2 Stark energy levels to the ⁴I_11/2 energy levels in an Nd:YAG laser for a temperature change from 20-200°C. The thermal shift difference between the Stark sublevels R₁, R₂ in ⁴F_3/2 is found to be about -0.6±0.6 cm^-1/100°C. Within experimental uncertainty, all of the lasing lines either moved to longer wavelength or remained unchanged with increasing temperature     

VUV stimulated anti-Stokes Raman emission in inverted atomicselenium

Stimulated anti-Stokes Raman scattering at 145.7 nm in inverted Se is generated by photolysis of OCSe at 193 nm and the subsequent up-conversion of 205.1-nm pump radiation. The tuning profile is characterized with OCSe pressure, the energies and relative timing of the pump and photodissociation lasers, and CO and Ar buffer-gas pressure. The use of CO as a buffer gas is discovered to be detrimental to the anti-Stokes output. Sixteen competing stimulated emission channels are found to suppress anti-Stokes emission on exact 4p ^{4 1}S₀-4p³ 5s³ P⁰₁ pump resonance     

Optical absorption and stimulated emission of neodymium in yttriumorthosilicate

A spectroscopic investigation of the biaxial crystal yttrium orthosilicate doped with Nd³⁺(Nd³⁺:Y₂SiO₅) has been performed. Spectrally and orientationally resolved emission cross sections necessary for the evaluation of laser performance on the Nd^{3+ 4}F_3/2-⁴I _9/2 and ⁴F_3/2-⁴I_11/2 transitions have been determined. The Judd-Ofelt theory has been applied to measured values of optical absorption line strengths to obtain the orientation averaged intensity parameters: Ω₂-3.34×10^-20 cm², Ω ₄=4.35×10^-20 cm², and Ω₆=5.60×10^-20 cm². These Judd-Ofelt intensity parameter values are significantly different from those previously reported by A.M. Tkachuk et al. Using these intensity parameters, the Nd^{3+ 4}F₂ metastable state lifetime is predicted to be 225 μs. Measured low Nd concentration ⁴F_3/2 lifetimes of 214 μs indicate a high radiative quantum efficiency. Because of the Stark level splitting of the Nd^{3+ 4}F_3/2 and ⁴I_9/2 manifolds, laser operation at twice one of the Cs atomic resonance filter acceptance wavelengths is possible     

Connectivity properties of a packet radio network model

A model of a packet radio network in which transmitters with range R are distributed according to a two-dimensional Poisson point process with density D is examined. To ensure network connectivity, it is shown that πR²D, the expected number of nearest neighbors of a transmitter, must grow logarithmically with the area of the network. For an infinite area there exists an infinite connected component with nonzero probability if π R²D>N₀, for some critical value N₀. It is shown that 2.195<N ₀<10.526     

A dispersion formula satisfying recent requirements in microstripCAD

A dispersion formula ϵ^*_eff(f)=ϵ^* -{ϵ^*-ϵ^*_eff(0)}/{1+( f/f₅₀)^m}, for the effective relative permittivity ϵ^*_eff(f) of an open microstrip line is derived for computer-aided design (CAD) use. The 50% dispersion point (the frequency f₅₀ at which ϵ^*_eff(f₅₀)={ϵ ^*+ϵ^*_eff(0)}/2}) is used a normalizing frequency in the proposed formula, and an expression for f₅₀ is derived. To obtain the best fit of ϵ ^*_eff(f) to the theoretical numerical model, the power m of the normalized frequency in the proposed formula is expressed as a function of width-to-height ratio w/ h for w/h⩾0.7 and as a function of w /h, f₅₀, and f for w/h⩽0.7. The present formula has a high degree of accuracy, better than 0.6% in the range 0.1<w/h⩽10, 1<ϵ^*⩽128, and any height-to-wavelength ratio h/λ₀     

Simultaneous multiple wavelength laser action in various neodymiumhost crystals

The oscillation condition of a simultaneous multiple wavelength laser has been established and used to analyze the possibility of simultaneous oscillation in various neodymium host crystals, such as Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF, Nd:BEL, and Nd:YAP crystals at the transitions from ⁴F_3/2-⁴I_13/2 and ⁴F_3/2-⁴I _11/2. It is shown that this kind of laser can be realized in all the described crystals in a pulsed state. In general, continuous wave (CW) operation, however, can only be achieved for Nd:YAP. On the basis of these results, CW simultaneous double wavelength lasing has been achieved in a Nd:YAP crystal for the first time at both 1.0795 μm and 1.314 μm     

Evidence for continuous visible chemical lasing from the fast nearresonant energy transfer pumping of atomic sodium

Energy transfer from selectively formed metastable states of SiO is used to pump sodium-atom laser amplifiers at λ≈569 nm (4d²D-3p²P), λ≈616 nm (5s²S-3p² P), and λ≈819 nm (3d²D -3p²P). The a³Σ⁺ and b³Π states of SiO are generated in high yield from the Si+N₂O→SiO+N₂ reaction. The energy stored in the triplet states is transferred in a highly efficient collisional process to pump sodium atoms to their lowest excited 3d² D, 4d²D, and 5s²S states. Adopting a sequence in which high concentrations of silicon and sodium atoms are mixed and oxidized, a continuous amplification (gain condition) is monitored which suggests the creation of a population inversion among the receptor sodium-atom energy levels and forms the basis for full cavity oscillation on the Na4 d²D-3p²P transition at 569 nm     

Observation of a large number of new laser lines from12CD3F gas optically pumped with a continuouslytunable high-pressure pulsed CO2 laser

An observation is reported of a large number of new laser lines from ¹²CD₃F gas optically pumped with a continuously tunable high-pressure pulsed CO₂ laser. Making use of the coincidence of the 10 μm P and R branches of CO₂ with the v₃ and v₆ vibrational-rotational absorption bands of ¹²CD₃F, 180 laser lines were found in the wavenumber range between 8 and 55 cm^-1, all of them yet unknown; these lines are studied for characteristic properties of laser action. All laser lines are assigned as pure rotational transitions in the vibrational excited or ground states     

Measurement of the characteristics of the optical-microwavedouble-resonance effect of the 87Rb D1line for application as an atomic frequency standard

The OMDR (optical-microwave double resonance) spectrum of ⁸⁷ Rb with the aim of using a frequency-stabilized GaAs semiconductor laser instead of an Rb lamp as a pumping source in a gas-cell-type Rb frequency standard. Natural isotope ⁸⁷Rb was sealed in a glass cell with buffer gases (Ar/N₂=1.2, total pressure=39 torr). The double resonance signal in the 5P_1/2(F=2)←5S_1/2( F=1) transition appearing at the resonance to the F=2←1 hyperfine transition of the 5S_1/2 state was detected. The optimum operational cell temperature was 56°C. The peak-to-peak frequency width of the atomic hyperfine resonance discriminator used to stabilize the microwave frequency shifts induced by detuning of the laser frequency, changes in the laser and microwave powers, and temperature drift of the cell were investigated     

Capacity of the Gaussian arbitrarily varying channel

The Gaussian arbitrarily varying channel with input constraint Γ and state constraint Λ admits input sequences x=(x₁,---,X_n) of real numbers with Σx_i²⩽nΓ and state sequences s=(S₁,---,s_n ) of real numbers with Σs_i²⩽nΛ; the output sequence x+s+V, where V=(V₁,---,V_n) is a sequence of independent and identically distributed Gaussian random variables with mean 0 and variance σ². It is proved that the capacity of this arbitrarily varying channel for deterministic codes and the average probability of error criterion equals 1/2 log (1+Γ/(Λ+σ²)) if Λ<Γ and is 0 otherwise     

Molecular-beam growth of homoepitaxial InSb photovoltaic detectors

Molecular-beam epitaxy has been used for the first time to fabricate np junctions in InSb grown onto p-type InSb (100) substrates. Diodes formed by the epitaxial growth of a silicon-doped layer on undoped homoepitaxial material exhibited a bulk generation-recombination-limited R₀A value of 10⁵ Ω cm² and D_λpk * of 3×10¹² cm Hz^1/2 W^-1 at liquid nitrogen temperature     

Intensity noise and spontaneous emission coupling insuperluminescent light sources

A simple expression for the noise in the photocurrent generated by the detection of light from an ideal superluminescent source is derived using a quantum amplifier model. The excess noise factor X is found to be related to the photocurrent I_d, electronic charge e, spontaneous emission coupling factor K , and full width at half maximum power of the emission spectrum Δv_1/2 by the expression X=0.664 I _d/eKΔv_1/2. Implications of this result for the performance of fiber-optic gyroscopes using superluminescent-diode (SLD) light sources and for the design of low-noise SLDs are discussed     

Nonlinear optical and electrooptical effects in 2-methyl-4-nitro N-methylaniline (MNMA) crystals

Single crystals of 2-methyl-4-nitro-N-methylaniline (MNMA) have been grown from the melt. The crystal structure was determined (orthorhombic, Pna2_I (2 mm), Z=4, a =17.788(6) Å, b=11.893(4) Å, c=3.907(2) Å). The refractive indexes n_a and n_c were measured between 500 and 700 nm [ n_a(633 nm)=2.148(10), n_c(633 nm)=1.520(3)]. The nonlinear optical susceptibilities coefficients r ₃₁=8 pm/V and r₃₃=7.5 pm/V were determined. Most optical properties can be explained in terms of molecular orientation and polarizability     

Optimal probability-of-error thresholds and performance for twoversions of the sign detector

Expressions are obtained for specifying the optimal error probability (minimum P_e) thresholds λ₀₁ and λ₀₂ for the traditional and modified sign detectors, respectively. These thresholds are shown to depend on the parameters p, P₁, and M where: M is the number of observations z_i used in the test statistic; P₁=P(H₁ ) is the prior probability for hypothesis H₁ that signal s₁ is present and 1-P₁ =P(H₀) corresponds to the hypothesis H₀ that signal s₀ is present; and p=Pr{z_i⩾0|H₁} with s₀=0 for the traditional sign detector and p=Pr{z_i⩾λ|H₁ }=Pr{z_i<λ|H₀} with λ =(s₀+s₁)/2 for the modified sign detector. The expressions for λ₀₁ and λ₀₂, are given explicitly, and shown to be independent of P₁ for sufficiently large M. Optimal P_e versus M performance curves, corresponding to both versions of the sign detector, are obtained for a representative range of values for p and P₁     

High vibrational temperatures in optically-pumped CO2

A pulsed 4.3-μm CO₂ laser was used to optically pump mixtures of CO₂ and He, and create transient gain at 9 and 10 μm. A conventional continuous-wave CO₂ laser operating on both regular and sequence bands measures this transient gain, and determined the ν₃ (asymmetric stretching)-mode vibrational temperature T₃. The measured values of T ₃ are generally much higher than those attained in discharge-excited CO₂. It is shown that a Treanor distribution must be used to describe the populations in the ν₃ -mode when dilute mixtures of CO₂ in He are optically pumped to ν₃-mode temperatures of 3000 to 4000 K. Under these conditions the sequence-band gain coefficients are almost equal to those on the regular bands. The collisional relaxation of energy from the ν₃ mode shows evidence of fast V-T relaxation at high values of T₃, followed by a slower relaxation rate characteristic of the 00⁰1 population lifetime     

Absorption and emission cross section of Er3+ dopedsilica fibers

A detailed set of measurements is presented on determining the emission and absorption cross sections of Er³⁺ doped fibers for the ⁴I_13/2→⁴I _15/2 transition. Two techniques are employed: the Fuchtbauer-Ladenberg analysis, based on spectroscopic data, and a more direct technique involving optical saturation of the transition. The cross sections, and in particular their ratio, are significantly different for the two techniques. Possible reasons for this are discussed, and it is concluded that the Fuchtbauer-Ladenberg approach is inappropriate in this situation     

Measurement of the stimulated emission cross section for the 4F3/2-4I13/2transition of Nd3+ in YAlO3 crystal

A method for the simultaneous measurement of the stimulated emission cross section and fluorescence lifetime by studying the relation between laser parameters and the laser relaxation oscillation frequency is discussed. The stimulated emission cross section for the ⁴F_3/2-⁴I_13/2 transition of Nd³⁺ ion in YAP crystal was measured to be (22±1)×10^-20 cm²