Characteristics of a pulse–periodic CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> laser for applications in the field of laser-produced plasma

The design of a pulse–periodic СО₂ laser oscillator that operates at a high level of the specific energy deposition into a self-sustained discharge is described. The laser is intended for generating pulses with a high-density radiation flux in a laser-plasma generator of multiply charged ions at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (ITEP). The results of investigations of the spatiotemporal and energy characteristics of laser output radiation in a wide range of the discharge excitation level and the mixture composition are presented. The optimal conditions are determined under which the oscillator provides an output energy of >10 J in a pulse with a duration of ~28 ns and a record specific peak radiation power of 190 MW per liter of the active volume of a CO₂: N₂: He mixture. The high quality of the spatial characteristics was confirmed in measurements of the radial energy-density distribution in the far-field zone, whose characteristic size is close to the diffraction limit.     

Single-Frequency TEA CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Laser for Experiments on Non-Resonant Radiation Interaction with Matter

The design philosophy and output radiation parameters of single frequency TEA CO₂ laser with bleaching intracavity longitudinal modes selector (cell filled with SF₆) are described. At cavity tuning to 10P(16) line and choosing optimum SF₆ pressure in the cell the stable single frequency lasing is realized with scatter of radiation peak power in a series of “shots” less than ±7% of average value. The radiation energy density and intensity gradually tuned in the ranges 0.36–12.5 J/cm² and 2.9–100 MW/cm² correspondingly were realized in the focal plane of a lens with f = 127 mm.     

Reducing the Energy Consumption of a Laser Photo-Acoustic SF<Subscript>6</Subscript> Gas Analyzer

Experimental studies of the operating modes of a laser photo-acoustic SF₆ gas analyzer that were aimed at reducing its energy consumption were carried out. It was shown in the experiments that an average power of CO₂ laser radiation of at least 100 mW is required for the assured detection of low SF₆ concentrations (less than 100 ppb). To reduce the energy consumption of the gas analyzer, it is proposed to decrease the repetition frequency of CO₂ laser pulses by several times and operate on subharmonics of the resonance frequency of the photo-acoustic detector. The experimental results made it possible to reduce the energy consumption of the gas analyzer to ~15 V A and use a Li-ion battery from a laptop to power it. The duration of the continuous operation of the gas analyzer on one battery charge was at least 6 h.     

基于光辐射压力的激光功率测量技术

随着激光应用领域的快速拓展,超高峰值功率、超窄脉宽逐渐成为未来激光行业的重点研究方向之一,这种激光的超高电场能量给高精度的激光功率测量提出了挑战。传统的激光功率测量方法,如光电法、热释电法、量热法等逐渐显露出不适用于上述激光功率测量的缺点,此外上述方法都难以实现实时、在线测量。为了克服以上困难,需要一种新型激光功率测量原理与方法。以美国国家标准与技术研究院为代表的机构提出了一种光辐射压力测量法,该方法使激光作用在高反射率的反射镜上,激光动量形成了光辐射压力,这个力可以采用多种力学传感方式进行计量。该方法不但能实现激光功率快速、准确测量,而且不影响激光能量传输,可以实现实时、在线的激光功率测量。系统回顾了国内外通过光辐射压力测量激光功率的基本原理和系统组成,光辐射压力测量激光功率的研究现状,并对该方法的发展方向进行了展望。     

Gap-free lap welding of zinc-coated steel using pulsed CO2 laser

CO₂ laser welding of zinc-coated steel sheets in the lap configuration has been a major research effort for the automotive industry for many years. The introduction of a gap between the sheets is one way of solving the zinc gas explosion problem. However, this requires sophisticated clamping devices and spacer materials. A homogeneous gap is therefore difficult to realise in high volume production. This paper describes a simple but useful approach for CO₂ laser welding of zinc-coated steel sheets in the lap configuration. By using a gated pulse mode, a seam welding process is developed that allows zinc-coated materials to be welded in a gap-free, overlap configuration. Laser seam welds in the lap configuration were produced in 0.7 mm-thick steel sheet with 7 μm zinc coating on both sides. A number of pulsed CO₂ laser welding parameters, including peak power, duty cycle, travel speed, pulse repetition rate, and pulse energy, were identified. Furthermore, the effects of pulsed CO₂ laser welding parameters on weldability were also investigated. The study shows that through the proper selection of welding parameters, it is possible to produce visually sound welds where porosity is still unavoidably formed. It was observed that decreasing the welding speed could reduce the porosity within the visually sound welds.     

9.3微米脉冲激光激光倍频实验

本文介绍了利用9.3m脉冲TEACO2激光通过AgGaSe2晶体二次谐波产生（SHG）技术实现4.65m中红外波段激光输出的实验研究。根据非线性光学技术原理和倍频技术的基本要求,通过有针对性的技术手段对于TEACO2激光器实现输出谱线选择和脉冲波形时间分布整形控制,使之尽量满足激光倍频试验对于泵浦的脉冲光源在波长和输出时间分布上的基本要求,并以此作为基波光源进行了产生二次谐波的试验研究工作。实验结果显示,即使是相同的AgGaSe2倍频晶体材料,由于生产厂商的不同具有完全不同的表面破坏阈值行为,而相同点是体损伤阈值均大于表面损伤阈值。实验上获得倍频输出最大能量12.9mJ;倍频输出最高平均功率940mW。     

飞秒激光参数对硅表面微结构影响的研究

为了制备出表面具有准规则排列的微米量级锥形尖峰结构的黑硅材料,在SF6气体氛围中,用一定能量密度的飞秒脉冲激光照射单晶硅片表面。针对激光通量和激光峰值功率这两个参量分别进行实验,具体分析了15fs和130fs脉冲宽度的飞秒激光脉冲作用下硅表面微结构的形成,不同实验条件下制备出的硅微纳结构也有明显的差异。研究表明,在同一背景气体下,激光的峰值功率对硅表面微结构的形成起着决定性的作用。     

A compact vacuum UV excilamp on argon dimers

The energy and spectral characteristics of the argon dimer emission with the maximum at a wave-length of ∼126 nm under excitation by a pulse-periodic discharge in a gas flow with pressures higher than the atmospheric pressure are studied. A compact excilamp has been designed for obtaining radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet spectrum region. The minimal argon flow velocities are determined, at which cooling is effected by convective gas ejection from the discharge region. This allows one to form a diffusion discharge with a stable radiation power density. It is shown that, when the flow velocity is 0.5 m³/h, the radiation power density of an Ar₂* molecule is >100 μW/cm² behind a LiF window with ∼10% transmission at a wavelength of 126 nm. It is shown that the use of a windowless design and an increase in the gas flow velocity allows an increase in the radiation power density up to 10 mW/cm².     

Performance of a gas electroluminescence x-ray detector filled with an argon-xenon mixture

The performance characteristics of a gas electroluminescence X-ray detector (DELG) filled with an Ar + Xe mixture in a range of Xe concentrations of 5–100% were investigated. For a mixture of 80% Ar + 20% Xe, an improvement of the energy resolution is observed with an increase in the gaseous-mixture pres-sure. The best result obtained at a pressure of 3 atm is 7.25% (MnK _α, 5.9 eV), which is higher than the data known from the literature by 0.5%. The peak/valley parameter for the same mixture amounts to a value of 650 for an energy of 5.9 keV compared to a value of 200 for pure Xe. The energy resolution of the DELG is suitable for use in X-ray diffractometry for effective suppression of K _β lines of characteristic radiation of the main anodes of X-ray tubes.     

Two-photon excited lifetime imaging of autofluorescence in cells during UV A and NIR photostress

By monitoring coenzyme autofluorescence modifications. as an indicator of cell damage. the cellular response to femtosecond near-infrared (NIR) radiation (two-photon absorption) was compared with exposure to low-power UV A radiation (one-photon absorption). Excitation radiation from a tunable Ti-sapphire laser. focused through highnumerical- aperture microscope optics. provided diffractionlimited mlcrobeams of an adjustable peak power. Laser scanning NIR microscopy was used to detect spatially the intracellular distribution of fluorescent coenzymes by fluorescence intensity imaging as well as fluorescence lifetime imaging (_T-mapping). Upon the onset of UV or NIR exposure. Chinese hamster ovary cells exhibited blue/green autofluorescence witq a mean lifetime of 2·2 ns. which was attributed to NAD(P)H in mitochondria. Exposure to 365 nm radiation from a high-pressure mercury lamp (1 m W. 300 J cm^-2 ) resulted in oxidative stress correlated with increased autofluorescence intensity. onset of nuclear fluorescence. and a fluorescence lifetime decrease. The cellular response to femtosecond NIR micro beams depended significantly on peak power. Peak powers above a threshold value of about 0·5kW (average power: 6mW). 0·55kW (7mW) and 0·8kW (lOmW) at 730nm. 760nm and 800nm. respectively. resulted in the onset of short-lived luminescence with higher intensity (100x) than the intracellular NAD(P)H fluorescence. This luminescence. accompanied by destruction of cellular morphology. was localized and occurred in the mitochondrial region. In contrast. beams at a power of less than 0·5 kW allowed nondestructive fluorophore detection with high spatial and temporal resolution without modification of cellular redox state or cell morphology.     

A stabilized pulsed repetition-rate CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> laser for a laser-plasma generator of multiply charged ions

The design of a laser oscillator with a stabilized frequency composition and a stabilized intensity of output radiation is described. The oscillator’s basic component is a TEA CO₂ module pumped by a self-maintained discharge and operating in a repetition-rate mode at a frequency of up to 3 Hz. A circuit for the formation of a self-maintained homogeneous discharge in the working volume of a CO₂ + N₂ + He mixture at atmospheric pressure is the basic component of the gas-discharge module. This circuit is based on the generation of a high-voltage pulse with a special profile, which provides high-reliability excitation of a discharge and pulse-to-pulse reproducibility of the discharge characteristics. The use of a hybrid circuit in the optical oscillator allows selection of a single longitudinal mode in the output radiation spectrum, thus eliminating undesirable interference phenomena, which lead to instability of the instantaneous values of the radiation intensity. During the development of the oscillator, the optimal operating parameters of the hybrid circuit were obtained, which ensure the high quality and reproducibility of the spatiotemporal and energy parameters of laser radiation.     

Photothermoplastic recording of contour holograms by means of inverted wave in brillouin scattering

Thermoplastic recording of contour holograms is based on the use of dual-frequency radiation comprising the pump-wave radiation (λ-0.694 μm) and radiation of the wave inverted relative to the pump wave in Brillouin scattering. Two possible arrangements for contour holograms recording are studied: an arrangement with additional amplification of the inverted wave radiation in the laser active medium, and an arrangement with isolation of the optical circuit of the laser from the inverted laser radiation. It is found that the reduced duration of the inverted wave pulse relative to the pump-pulse width, typical of Brillouin scattering, does not cause any loss of sensitivity of the photothermoplastic material. The proposed method of recording contour holograms ensures power stability of the output dual-frequency radiation with a changing frequency interval and makes it possible to study nonstationary objects.     

Modification of the surface of cross-linked oligophenylene based on 4,4''-diacetyldiphenyloxide and acetophenone by IR laser radiation

The influence of quasi-momentum IR laser radiation (CO₂ laser; wavelength λ = 10.6 μm; power density W = 70 W cm⁻²) on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the surface of articles made from oligophenylene has been investigated. These oligomers were produced by the reaction of 4,4'-diacetyldiphenyl oxide and acetophenone and were filled with graphite. The measurements of the interfacial wetting angle demonstrated the influence of the irradiation dose on the surface energy. The relations between the coefficient of friction, wear and microhardness and the IR radiation dose were established. It was found that quasi-momentum IR laser radiation makes it possible to change significantly the structure of surface layers and to improve the tribological properties of polyphenylene without changing its chemical structure and initial physical properties as a whole.     

Registration of picosecond CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> laser pulses by means of two-stage parametric transformation in nonlinear crystals

A technique for registering the temporal structure of picosecond pulses of CO₂ laser radiation with an energy of 1.5–4.5 μJ at a wavelength of 10.27 μm using two-stage parametric transformation of IR radiation frequency into visible light under pumping of nonlinear crystals by Nd:YAG-laser radiation in a Q-switched mode is described. A GaSe nonlinear crystal was used at the first stage of transformation (10.27 μm + 1.064 μm → 0.964 μm). Radiation was further transformed (1.064 μm + 0.960 μm → 0.506 μm) by using the same pumping in an α-HIO₃ nonlinear crystal. For the first time, no additional optical elements were present between the stages of the frequency transformer in the proposed optical scheme. The transformed radiation was registered with a Hamamatsu Temporal Disperser C1587 streak camera in a region of the photocathode maximum spectral sensitivity of ～0.5 μm with a temporal resolution of up to 2 ps. The minimum recorded pulse duration of the CO₂ laser was ～45 ps.     

A Periodically Pulsed HF(DF) Gas-Discharge Laser

The design of a repetitively pulsed HF(DF) gas-discharge laser with an active-medium volume of 60 × 2.3 × 1.2 cm³, a pulse radiation energy of 1.6 (1.2) J, and a pulse repetition rate of 1–2 Hz is described. A zeolite-based absorber is used to stabilize the energy characteristics of the laser operating without the forced circulation of the laser mixture. An energy decrease by 50% after 10³ laser shots is obtained at a pulse repetition rate of 1 Hz.     

Process Characterisation of Pulsed Nd:YAG Laser Seam Welding

A wide range of pulsed laser welding parameters was identified. These include average peak power density (APPD), peak power, mean laser power, traverse speed, pulse repetition rate, duty cycle, pulse energy, spot size, and pulse duration. The type of laser beam temporal pulse shape studied was a rectangular power pulse. The effects of pulsed laser welding parameters on heat flow, weld dimension, and weldability are investigated. The study shows that weld quality is principally affected by APPD, mean power, and traverse speed, of which APPD is the most critical process parameter. A processing map containing the APPD effects is constructed as a guide for producing good welds.     

A Nanographite Film-Based Fast Response Detector for Intense Laser Radiation

A simple high-speed photodetector of high-power laser radiation, based on the optical rectification effect, is described. It operates without an external power source. A nanographite film deposited onto a silicon substrate using the plasmochemical deposition technique and having two conducting surface electrodes is used as the photodetector’s photosensitive element. The performance of this device was demonstrated by detecting pulsed laser radiation in a spectral range of 0.266–1.9 µm using the second, third, and fourth harmonics of radiation from an YAG : Nd³⁺ laser with passive Q-switching and radiation from light oscillators based on stimulated Raman scattering in compressed hydrogen. It was shown that the photodetector sensitivity is proportional to the optical radiation frequency and its response time is shorter than 0.5 ns.__________Translated from Pribory i Tekhnika Eksperimenta, No. 3, 2005, pp. 84–89.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Mikheev, Zonov, Obraztsov, Svirko, Volkov.     

Energy dependence of the relative light output of YAlO<Subscript>3</Subscript>:Ce,Y<Subscript>2</Subscript>SiO<Subscript>5</Subscript>:Ce,and YPO<Subscript>4</Subscript>:Ce scintillators

The nonlinear dependence of the relative light output on the energy deposited in single-crystal scintillation materials YAlO₃:Ce (YAP:Ce), Y₂SiO₅:Ce (YSO:Ce), and YPO₄:Ce (YPO:Ce) has been studied. The investigations have been conducted under quasi-monochromatic X-ray excitation in the energy range of 9.5–100 keV. In addition to the standard technique for measuring the nonproportional scintillator response based on the dependence of the full-energy peak position on the energy of incident radiation, a method is proposed for measuring the light output by X-ray fluorescence peaks. Using this method for YAP:Ce, it is possible to investigate the nonlinear dependence of the light output on the photon energy in the energy range of 2–40 keV. Along with this method, the K-dip spectroscopy method has been proposed and tested by measuring the dependence of the relative light output on the electron energy in the range of 0.1–80.0 keV. The processes resulting in the loss of the scintillation material efficiency at a high ionization density are considered.     

Excitation of high-intensity laser radiation of semiconductor targets by a subnanosecond electron beam

The results of the excitation of СdS semiconductor targets by a subnanosecond electron beam (EB) with an electron energy of 60–230 keV are presented. The maximum intensity of laser radiation from targets for a 1-mm EB diameter exceeded 10⁷ W/cm² at an efficiency of ~10%. Lasing was initiated at the leading edge of the EB current; laser radiation then reproduced the shape of the excitation pulse. At low excitation levels, a single-mode lasing regime with the wavelength λ = 522 nm was observed. The maximum power of laser radiation (10 MW) was achieved on a multielement CdS semiconductor target. The duration of laser pulses changed in the range of 100–500 ps.