High Efficiency Flashlamps for Pulsed Dye Lasers

This paper discusses the possibilities of pulsed high pressure mercury capillary lamps as efficient pumping sources for dye lasers. Spectral measurements show that a spectral efficiency as high as 24 per cent may be reached for a typical blue lasing dye. Laser action has been obtained with Rhodamine 6G with a repetition rate of up to 100 p.p.s., and an experimental threshold in good agreement with the theoretical one, calculated from the spectra. The life of the lamps has been tested, and no reduction of the luminous output has been observed after ～10⁵ pulses. Severe thermal problems have been encountered with blue lasing dyes, which we hope to solve by using watersoluble coumarins.