Visible Molecular Lasers - REU Supplement

本研究项目是美国国家科学基金会资助的ECS-8411743激光物理实验工作的延续。其目标是在可见光和紫外光谱区域开发新的和有效的可调谐相干辐射源，并更好地了解在现有和潜在的新辐射源中发生的基本过程。其中一个实验旨在演示可见光光泵浦、连续HgBr、HgI或PbI激光。HgBr2， HgI2或PbI2的电或光学解离之后，光学激发（用连续波紫外激光或电弧灯）B态从基态。测量该激光器的阈值泵浦功率和研究使用同位素富集金属卤化物盐来提高小信号增益是本研究的两个主要目标。此外，研究人员还提出了从N2或CO的最低亚稳态激发转移抽运准连续波氟化碘（IF）激光器的可行性。电子束产生的亚稳态分子将与I2和F2混合在圆柱形喷嘴中，用连续波染料激光器检测到增益的存在。微波探测实验将研究激发态碰撞对有源介质能量负荷的限制。

This research program is a continuation of experimental work in laser physics supported under NSF grant ECS-8411743. Its goals are the development of new and efficient sources of tunable coherent radiation in the visible and ultraviolet spectral regions, and a better understanding of the fundamental processes occurring in existing and potential new sources. One experiment is designed to demonstrate an optically-pumped, continuous HgBr, HgI or PbI laser in the visible. The electrical or optical dissociation of HgBr2, HgI2 or PbI2 would be followed by optically exciting (with a CW UV laser or an arc lamp) the B state from the ground state. Measuring the threshold pumping power for this laser and investigating the use of isotopically-enriched metal-halide salts to enhance the small-signal gain are two of the primary initial goals of this research. Also proposed are studies to examine the feasibility of a quasi-CW Iodine Fluoride (IF) laser pumped by excitation transfer from the lowest metastable state of N2 or CO. Electron beam-produced metastable molecules would be mixed with I2 and F2 in a cylindrical nozzle arrangement and the presence of gain detected with a CW dye laser. Microwave probing experiments will investigate the limitations posed by excited state collisions on energy loading of the active medium.