University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Atomic alkali lasers pumped by the dissociation of photoexcited alkali-rare gas collision pairs

Readle, Jason D.

Content Files
Readle_Jason.pdf

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/16810

Description

Title
Atomic alkali lasers pumped by the dissociation of photoexcited alkali-rare gas collision pairs
Author(s)
Readle, Jason D.
Issue Date
2010-08-20T17:58:21Z
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Eden, James G.
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Eden, James G.
Committee Member(s)
  • Coleman, James J.
  • Lisy, James M.
  • Carney, Paul S.
  • Verdeyen, Joseph T.
Department of Study
Electrical & Computer Eng
Discipline
Electrical Engineering
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Date of Ingest
2010-08-20T17:58:21Z
Keyword(s)
  • gas laser
  • atomic laser
  • alkali
  • rare-gas
  • excimer-pumped alkali-vapor lasers (XPAL)
  • Diode-Pumped Alkali Laser (DPAL)
  • satellite
  • photoassociation
  • collision pair
  • excimer
  • diode pumped
  • diode laser
  • free-free transitions
Abstract
A new class of photoassociation lasers has been demonstrated in which photoexcited alkali-rare gas collision pairs dissociate in order to produce inversion on atomic alkali transitions. The pump acceptance bandwidths of these excimer bands, historically referred to as spectral satellites, have been observed to be as broad as 5 nm. This characteristic makes excimer-pumped alkali-vapor lasers (XPALs) attractive candidates for the spatial mode conversion of laser diode arrays with nominal linewidths of 2 nm in order to produce high quality (M2 1) beams. Quantum e ciencies exceeding 98% have been measured and may potentially mitigate heat extraction issues associated with high power, large volume lasers. XPALs operating on both the n2P1=2 ! n2S1=2 (D1) or n2P3=2 ! n2S1=2 (D2) transitions of Cs (n = 6) and Rb (n = 5) have been experimentally investigated and show promise for scaling to high power, diode pumped systems. Both semiclassical and quantum mechanical formulations of the free!free transitions which produce satellites are presented, culminating in an improved CsAr(B2 + 1=2) potential. A timedependent rate equation model is also described which clearly shows the validity and utility of employing the laser itself as a sensitive probe of the underlying photoassociation kinetics.
Graduation Semester
2010-08
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/16810
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2010 Jason D. Readle

Owning Collections

Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois
Dissertations and Theses - Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dissertations and Theses in Electrical and Computer Engineering