Generation of high-power subpicosecond pulses at 155 nm

Subpicosecond vacuum-ultraviolet radiation at 155 nm with pulse energies above 0.2 mJ has been obtained by near-resonant four-wave difference-frequency mixing in a Xe gas jet. Laser fields for the mixing process have been generated by a short-pulse KrF dye excimer laser system and a Raman converter. The process permits tuning in a broad vacuum-ultraviolet range and can be scaled up to higher output energies.