Near-IR lasing in caesium vapour

• Published in: Quantum electronics (Woodbury, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2021-05, Vol.51 (5), p.415-418
• Main Authors: Babin, A.A., Volkov, M.V., Garanin, S.G., Kovaldov, S.A., Kopalkin, A.V., Kulikov, S.M., Nosov, S.N., Starikov, F.A., Strakhov, A.V., Feoktistov, V.V., Shotniev, V.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: caesium vapour laser; Cesium vapor; Energy conversion efficiency; Lasers; Lasing; longitudinal pumping; near-IR region; Parametric amplifiers; Pulse repetition rate
• ISSN: 1063-7818; 1468-4799
• DOI: 10.1070/QEL17545

Lasing in caesium vapour is obtained at λ ∼ 3 μm (transitions 7P 3/2 → 7S 1/2 and 7P 1/2 → 7S 1/2 ). Longitudinal pumping is performed by the second harmonic of a parametric oscillator pumped by the second harmonic of a Nd 3+ -doped garnet laser. The pump wavelength corresponds to the 6S 1/2 → 7P 3/2 and 6S 1/2 → 7P 1/2 transitions of caesium atoms. The pump radiation has a spectral width of 12 cm −1 , a pulse energy of 10 mJ, and a pulse repetition rate of 10 Hz. The IR laser pulse energy at a vapour cell temperature of 155 °C is 100 μJ. The efficiency of pump energy conversion to the laser radiation energy at λ ∼ 3 μm is ∼1.5%.