Stable doped hybrid sol-gel materials for solid-state dye laser

Laser effects have been obtained with dye-doped hybrid xerogel samples prepared several years ago and stored in different "classical" conditions. Firstly, using the same configuration of the laser cavity as was used 4-5 years ago, we have obtained almost identical laser performances, and slope conversion efficiencies were measured up to 80% and operational lifetimes, with 1-mJ initial output energy and 10-Hz repetition rate of several hundred thousand pulses obtained. Secondly, we have introduced the new pyrromethene 605 dye into a hybrid xerogel matrix and obtained good laser performances similar to the rest of the pyrromethene family.     

High-performance solid-state dye laser based on peryleneorange-doped polycom glass

Abstract

The new laser dye, perylene orange, doped into polycom glass (sol–gel glass–poly(methyl methacrylate) composite) has been developed into a tunable gain material with high performance. A sample polished to 0.02 μm smoothness and λ/5 flatness, over the central region, was excited in an optical cavity with a second harmonic Q-switched Nd-doped yttrium aluminium garnet laser as a pump source. The solid-state dye laser had a threshold of 53 μJ, a slope efficiency of 72% and a normalized photostability of 50 GJ mol^?1. The laser damage thresholds of various host materials were obtained and the damage threshold of polycom glass was found to be 26 J cm^?2. The beam profile of a He[sbnd]Ne laser transmitted through samples of host material showed that the optical homogeneity of polycom glass is approaching that of pure polymers.     

Hot-press molded poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix for solid-state dye lasers

A hot-press molding method was used to fabricate dye-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) slabs. Three rhodamine dyes, Rh640 (ClO(4)), Rh6G(ClO(4)), and Rh6G (Cl), were impregnated into the PMMA matrix first by dissolving the dye and granular PMMA in a solvent mixture of chloroform and methanol and then heating the mixture in vacuo at 175 degrees C to obtain a spongy preform. The powdered preform was molded into slabs at 175 degrees C and at <1 mbar, to eliminate the formation of bubbles in the slabs. We annealed the slabs for several hours to improve its optical homogeneity and hence its lasing efficiency. When pumped by a 1.5-mJ nitrogen laser, we obtained peak lasing efficiencies of 8% and 7.8%, respectively, for Rh6G (ClO(4)) and Rh640 (ClO(4)) in PMMA matrices. The lasing efficiency of Rh6G (ClO(4))-doped PMMA suffered a reduction rate of 0.012%/shot compared with 0.15%/shot for Rh640 (ClO(4))-doped PMMA. In contrast, Rh6G (Cl) in a hot-press molded PMMA slab suffered thermal bleaching that resulted in a low lasing efficiency of <1%; this can be explained by its absorption and fluorescence characteristics.     

Multiple-prism grating solid-state dye laser oscillator: optimized architecture

A multiple-prism grating solid-state dye laser oscillator was demonstrated with its grating, deployed in a Littrow configuration, under total illumination at reduced intracavity beam expansion. This compact cavity yields laser linewidths in the 350-MHz range and smooth temporal pulses with a near-Gaussian profile.     

Dye photodestruction in a solid-state dye laser with a polymeric gain medium

The process of dye photodestruction in a solid-state dye laser is studied, and implemented is a polymeric gain medium doped with a strongly concentrated dye. The behavior of the conversion efficiency in the polymeric gain medium pumped with different laser-pulse repetition rates and the process of dye photobleaching are analyzed. The contribution of the heating of the host material into the dye molecules' deactivation is discussed. The negative effect of high dye concentration on the dye stability under a high pump repetition rate is reported and analyzed for the first time to my knowledge. A comparison of the present results with recently published data demonstrates the major role of photodestruction, rather than direct thermodestruction, in the dye stability of the solid-state gain medium. The role of additives with low molecular weights in the polymeric matrix, for increasing the stability of the gain material, is discussed.     

kHz dye laser for use with ultrafast laser systems

We have constructed a cavity-dumped dye laser optimized for use with kHz repetition rate ultrafast lasers for performing experiments on atomic and molecular systems. The dye laser is inexpensive, robust, and requires little pump energy, making it ideal for experiments requiring multiple excitations for state preparation.     

Radiochromic dye film studies for brachytherapy applications

Commercial radiochromic dye films have been used in recent years to quantify absorbed dose in several medical applications. In this study we present the characterisation of the GafChromic MD-55-2 dye film, a double sensitive layer film suitable for photon irradiation in brachytherapy applications. Dose measurements were carried out with a low dose rate 137Cs brachytherapy source, which produces very steep dose gradients in its vicinity, and therefore requires the capability of producing high spatial resolution isodose curves. Quantification of the dose rate in water per unit air kerma strength was obtained using a high-resolution transmission commercial scanner (Agfa DuoScan T1200 with the capability of digitising up to 600 x 1200 pixels per inch using 36 bits per pixel, together with optical density measurements. The Monte Carlo calculations and experimental measurements compared well in the 0-50 Gy dose interval used in this study.     

Evaluation of a solid-state gyroscope for robotics applications

The evaluation of a low-cost solid-state gyroscope for robotics applications is described. An error model for the sensor is generated and included in a Kalman filter for estimating the orientation of a moving robot vehicle. Orientation estimation with the error model is compared to the performance when the error model is excluded from the system. The results demonstrate that without error compensation, the error in idealization is between 5-15°/min but can be improved at least by a factor of 5 if an adequate error model is supplied. Like all inertial systems, the platform requires additional information from some absolute position-sensing mechanism to overcome long-term drift. However, the results show that with careful and detailed modeling of error sources, inertial sensors can provide valuable orientation information for mobile robot applications     

磷酸处理芳纶纤维的缠绕环氧树脂基体

在用磷酸(PA)溶液处理芳纶纤维的基础上, 系统研究了适用于制备高性能芳纶纤维增强复合材料的缠绕环氧树脂基体, 测试了复合材料的力学性能和热机械性能, 讨论了树脂基体对芳纶纤维增强复合材料界面性能的影响。结果表明: 经过磷酸溶液处理的芳纶纤维表面存在一定量的极性官能团, 与缩水甘油酯类环氧树脂有良好的界面相容性; 经过优化的树脂体系其芳纶纤维增强复合材料的NOL环(Naval Ordnance Laboratory Ring)纤维强度转化率达到95％, 层间剪切强度(ILSS)达到79MPa, 界面剪切强度(IFSS)达到76MPa, 具有较好的界面性能。      

Thermal and optical properties of polymer hosts for solid-state dye lasers.

We present measurements of thermal and optical properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), PMMA modified by the addition of ethanol (MPMMA), and copolymers of methyl methacrylate with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate [P(HEMA:MMA)]. Spectral transmission of the polymers is excellent (alpha = 0.5 cm(-1) at 400 nm, decreasing to 0.04 cm(-1) at 633 nm). Measured laser damage thresholds of MPMMA and P(HEMA:MMA) show at least a twofold increase over PMMA. Thermal lensing measured in these hosts doped with Rhodamine 6G is shown to be similar (f = -450 mm for pump power of 200 mW in a 2-mm-diameter spot, scaling with pump intensity). Compared with MPMMA, P(HEMA:MMA) offers an improved surface quality and a more uniform dye distribution.     

Microfabricated solid-state dye lasers based on a photodefinable polymer

We present a solid polymer dye laser based on a single-mode planar waveguide. The all-polymer device is self-contained in the photodefinable polymer SU-8 and may therefore easily be placed on any substrate and be integrated with polymer-based systems. We use as the active medium for the laser the commercially available laser dye Rhodamine 6G, which is incorporated into the SU-8 polymer matrix. The single-mode slab waveguide is formed by three-step spin-coating deposition: a buffer layer of undoped SU-8, a core layer of SU-8 doped with Rhodamine, and a cladding layer of undoped SU-8.     

大功率半导体激光器全固态风冷散热系统

设计并制作了一种全固态大功率半导体激光阵列恒温散热系统。它利用半导体制冷器对大功率半导体激光阵列吸热,然后经由风冷散热。经测试,单bar激光阵列连续输出功率达到15.28W,双 bar 阵列输出达 27.8W 时,全部达到风冷散热控温精度±0.1 ;当环境温度达到 45 时,仍然能够保证激光阵列的正常使用。     

A narrow-band tunable dye laser

Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 8, pp. 42–44, August, 1992.     

Single-mode flashlamp-pumped dye laser oscillators

In this paper, we report single-longitudinal-mode operation in a flashlamp-pumped dye laser incorporating a multiple-prism beam expander with the grating either in a Littrow or grazing-incidence configuration. Linewidths in the 260-MHz range were obtained, using rhodamine 590 dye at output energies exceeding 60 mJ. Pulse duration for the multiple-prism Littrow dye laser oscillator was approximately 200 ns (FWHM).     

Versatile preparation method for mesoporous TiO2 electrodes suitable for solid-state dye sensitized photocells

Nano-structured TiO₂ electrodes, suitable for dye sensitized solid-state solar cells were prepared by a new simple spraying technique (SPT). Physical properties of these electrodes were compared with the electrodes prepared by the ‘doctor blade’ technique (typical sliding method, DB). Dye sensitized solid-state solar cells, comprising of CuI as the hole conductor, were fabricated with these electrodes and enhanced photo responses were obtained with SPT electrodes. The effects of additives, either to the spray solution or to the hole conductor on the photoresponses of the above devices were also studied. The cells fabricated with SPT electrodes containing Al(BuⁱO)₃ showed ∼ 2.4% efficiency and addition of 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium thiocyanate into CuI layer further enhanced the efficiency up to 2.75% under the irradiance of 100 mW cm⁻² (AM 1.5).