Two- and three-grating resonators for high-power pulsed CO(2) lasers

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics

Background:

• Broadly tunable, narrow-linewidth carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers are essential for advanced optical applications.
• Existing CO2 laser technology requires improvements for broader tunability and narrower linewidths.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt a multi-grating technique, commonly used in dye lasers, for use in multi-atmosphere continuously tunable CO2 lasers.
• To analyze the performance and requirements of different grating configurations for CO2 lasers.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of multiple intracavity gratings near grazing incidence within a three-mirror, 10-atmosphere CO2 laser resonator.
• Experimental testing and analysis of angular dispersion, wavelength tuning, and grating size.
• Investigation of single longitudinal mode (SLM) operation feasibility.

Main Results:

• Achieved approximately 200-mJ pulses with a linewidth under 600 MHz in a multi-atmosphere CO2 laser.
• Demonstrated the potential for single longitudinal mode (SLM) operation at slightly reduced output levels.
• Successfully achieved SLM operation in a simpler two-grating CO2 transversely excited atmospheric laser setup.

Conclusions:

• The multi-grating technique is effective for developing broadly tunable, narrow-linewidth CO2 lasers.
• This advancement is crucial for improving tunable far-infrared Raman lasers and other optical pumping experiments.
• The study paves the way for more versatile and precise CO2 laser systems.