Spectroscopy of optically pumped ammonia and deuterium oxide near 1 THz
Molecular gases like ammonia (NH<inf>3</inf>) and deuterium oxide (D<inf>2</inf>O) can be used as active media for optically pumped terahertz lasers (OPTL). In this paper we present spectroscopic measurement of chosen NH<inf>3</inf> and D<inf>2</inf>O lasing lines near 1 THz. Rotational-vibrational transitions are pumped by mid infrared quantum cascade laser (MIR QCL) which offers more precise tunability in MIR spectral range than standard optical pumping methods (CO<inf>2</inf>, N<inf>2</inf>O lasers). This allows to access new lasing lines. Frequency domain measurements of NH<inf>3</inf> and D<inf>2</inf>O under different pressure, pumping frequency and pumping power are performed. The results show high gain obtained for NH<inf>3</inf> (3,3) line at 1.073 THz and very low gain for D<inf>2</inf>O (4,3,2) line at 533 GHz due to the low population.
High-resolution THz gain measurements in optically pumped ammonia.
This study is aimed at the evaluation of THz gain properties in an optically pumped NH3 gas. NH3 molecules undergo rotational-vibrational excitation by mid-infrared (MIR) optical pumping provided by a MIR quantum cascade laser (QCL) which enables precise tuning to the NH3 infrared transition around 10.3 μm. Pure inversion transitions, (J = 3, K = 3) at 1.073 THz and (J = 4, K = 4) at 1.083 THz were selected. The THz measurements were performed using a THz frequency multiplier chain. The results show line profiles with and without optical pumping at different NH3 pressures, and with different MIR tuning. The highest gain at room temperature under the best conditions obtained during single pass on the (3,3) line was 10.1 dB×m-1 at 26 μbar with a pumping power of 40 mW. The (4,4) line showed lower gain of 6.4 dB×m-1 at 34 μbar with a pumping power of 62 mW. To our knowledge these THz gains are the highest measured in a continuous-wave MIR pumped gas.
Two-Photon Transitions in Optical y Pumped Submillimeter Lasers
The emission frequency of an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE), optically pumped submillimeter (SMM) laser has been studied as a function of laser gas pressure for several different gases and SMM laser lines. For off resonantpumping, Fabry-Perot interferometer scans indicate a shift in emission frequency between high- and low- pressure laser operation. In high-pressure operation, emission occurs via a Raman type, two-photon process with some additional frequency offset due to the ac Stark effect. The Raman process is favored by its higher quantum efficiency over a two-step process involving single- photon transitions at the pump and SMM wavelengths. In low-pressure operation, the SMM laser emission is found to be delayed in time with respect to the pump pulse. The Raman process thus cannot occur and the two-step process is favored. This results in a shift in the SMM laser emission frequency from the Raman line to the line center frequency of the SMM laser transition. The Raman emission gain bandwidth appears to be broadened by the COz pump laser bandwidth.