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An Experimental Protocol for Femtosecond NIR/UV - XUV Pump-Probe Experiments with Free-Electron Lasers
Published on: October 23, 2018
Repetitive vacuum ultraviolet xenon excimer laser
C B Edwards1, M H Hutchinson, D J Bradley
1Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, LondonAWRE Aldermaston, Berkshire, England.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|October 1, 1979
Summary
A new high-power vacuum ultraviolet laser was developed for photochemistry and spectroscopy. This tunable xenon laser operates at 172-nm, enabling advanced applications in XUV coherent radiation generation.
Area of Science:
- Laser physics
- Photochemistry
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Development of high-power lasers is crucial for advanced scientific applications.
- Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) lasers offer unique excitation and probing capabilities.
- Tunable and repetitive VUV sources are needed for precise photochemical studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a repetitive, tunable, high-power vacuum ultraviolet laser.
- To enable applications in photochemistry, selective excitation spectroscopy, and XUV coherent radiation generation.
- To design a laser compatible with fluorine for rare gas halide exciplex laser pumping.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a compact high-voltage generator and a coaxial cold-cathode diode.
- Employed high-pressure xenon gas for laser operation at 172-nm.
- Developed specific gas handling techniques for reliable laser action.
Main Results:
- Achieved a repetitive, tunable, high-power vacuum ultraviolet laser operating at 172-nm.
- Demonstrated laser operation at repetition rates up to 10 Hz (limited to 0.5 Hz by gas heating).
- Ensured compatibility with fluorine, making it suitable for pumping rare gas halide exciplex lasers.
- Obtained reliable and reproducible laser action in xenon for several hundred pulses.
Conclusions:
- The developed VUV laser is a powerful tool for photochemistry and spectroscopy.
- The laser's design facilitates the generation of coherent radiation in the XUV spectral region.
- The apparatus is a suitable pumping source for rare gas halide exciplex lasers.
