Laser threshold and efficiency measurements of solid state dye lasers operating in the near-infrared under microsecond pumping

Jeffrey A. Russell; Dennis P. Pacheco; William H. Russell; Henry R. Aldag; Alexander A. Manenkov

doi:10.1117/12.459006

13 March 2002 Laser threshold and efficiency measurements of solid state dye lasers operating in the near-infrared under microsecond pumping

Jeffrey A. Russell, Dennis P. Pacheco, William H. Russell, Henry R. Aldag, Alexander A. Manenkov

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4630, Solid State Lasers XI; (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.459006
Event: High-Power Lasers and Applications, 2002, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

We report on a systematic study of the laser threshold and slope efficiency of solid-state dyes lasers operating in the near-IR under microsecond(s) pumping. The excitation source for this work is a flashlamp-pumped dye laser operating at a wavelength of approximately equal to 660 nm with a pulse duration of approximately equal to 1.25 microsecond(s) . A major objective of this work is to demonstrate laser characteristics traceable to direct diode-pumping of a dye- doped solid matrix. Detailed measurements were made for three laser dyes and three different host materials. Dyes evaluated include Rhodamine 700, Rhodamine 800 and Oxazine 725 at various concentrations. The host matrices studied were modified PMMA, polymer-filled nanoporous glass, and organically modified silicate. Laser measurements included output energy and wavelength as functions of input energy and resonator feedback. Findlay-Clay analyses were performed to extract information on the round-trip cavity losses in each case. Temporal waveforms were obtained for the pump and output pulses in order to evaluate the extent of tracking, and to study the mechanisms for loss of tracking. The highest laser efficiency observed was 43 percent for Oxazine 725 in MPMMA for a 2-mm thick sample. This material had a laser wavelength of approximately 690 nm for R_oc < 0.70. The value increased to approximately 735 nm, however, for R > 0.80. The longest output wavelength observed in this study was approximately 797 nm for Rhodamine 800 in PFNPG. The highest efficiency observed for this particular sample was 21 percent. Its emission wavelength was relatively insensitive to feedback over the range studied. Measurements of laser threshold are presented and discussed for the materials investigated.

Citation Download Citation

Jeffrey A. Russell, Dennis P. Pacheco, William H. Russell, Henry R. Aldag, and Alexander A. Manenkov "Laser threshold and efficiency measurements of solid state dye lasers operating in the near-infrared under microsecond pumping", Proc. SPIE 4630, Solid State Lasers XI, (13 March 2002); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.459006

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