Efficient tunable ultraviolet source based on stimulated Raman scattering of an excimer-pumped dye laser

We report on the design and performance of a tunable ultraviolet source based on stimulated Raman scattering in compressed hydrogen. The 440-nm output of an excimer-pumped dye laser was employed as pump source. By lowering the gas temperature to 78 K, an improvement of ~70% was obtained in the efficiency of conversion to the seventh anti-Stokes order at 193 nm.