Abstract

Raman intracavity lasers offer a convenient and efficient way of frequency shifting the output of tunable solid-state lasers to new spectral regions. High quantum conversion efficiency and pulse compression and cleanup make these techniques attractive for high-power application.¹ Our system used a tunable alexandrite laser radiation as the pump; the experimental apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. A 8.3- X 102-mm alexandrite rod was used as the pump laser gain medium. The alexandrite laser cavity (1.6-m length) was made with two mirrors M1 and M3 having high reflectivity over the laser's tuning range (700-800 nm). The Raman laser cavity was defined by mirrors M2 and M3. The M2 mirror served as a high reflector and had high transmission for the alexandrite laser beam. The Raman laser output coupler M3 had low reflectivity, ~15%, thus yielding a short lifetime for S₁ photons in the Raman cavity but providing sufficient feedback for the high-gain Raman medium to oscillate.

© 1985 Optical Society of America