State-to-State Rates for the D + H2(v = 1, j = 1) rarr HD(v', j') + H Reaction: Predictions and Measurements.

A fully quantal wavepacket approach to reactive scattering in which the best available H(3) potential energy surface was used enabled a comparison with experimentally determined rates for the D + H(2)(v = 1, j = 1) --> HD(v' = 0, 1, 2; j') + H reaction at significantly higher total energies (1.4 to 2.25 electron volts) than previously possible. The theoretical results are obtained over a sufficient range of conditions that a detailed simulation of the experiment was possible, thus making this a definitive comparison of experiment and theory. Good to excellent agreement is found for the vibrational branching ratios and for the rotational distributions within each product vibrational level. However, the calculated rotational distributions are slightly hotter than the experimentally measured ones. This small discrepancy is more marked for products for which a larger fraction of the total energy appears in translation. The most likely explanation for this behavior is that refinements are needed in the potential energy surface.

Deep-UV generation by frequency quadrupling of a high-power GaAlAs semiconductor laser.

Tunable UV radiation near 215 nm was produced by frequency quadrupling the 860-nm emission of a mode-locked external-cavity compound semiconductor laser containing a tapered GaAlAs amplifier. A KNbO(3) crystal generated the 430-nm second harmonic, which was doubled by a beta-BaB(2)O(4) crystal, producing tunable UV radiation with as much as 15 microW of average power.

Tunable UV generation at 286 nm by frequency tripling of a high-power mode-locked semiconductor laser.

We produced ultraviolet radiation by frequency tripling the mode-locked emission of an external cavity laser containing a tapered GaAlAs amplif ier gain element. The 429-nm second harmonic produced by a KNbO(3) crystal was sum-frequency mixed with the 858-nm fundamental in a Li(3)BO(5) crystal, generating as much as 50 microW of power at 286 nm.

Narrow-band, tunable, semiconductor-laser-based source for deep-UV absorption spectroscopy.

Tunable, narrow-bandwidth (<200-MHz), ~215-nm radiation was produced by frequency quadrupling the ~860-nm output of a high-power, pulsed GaAlAs tapered amplifier seeded by an external-cavity diode laser. Pulsing the amplifier increased the 860 nm?215 nm conversion efficiency by 2 orders of magnitude with respect to cw operation. Detection of nitric oxide and sulfur dioxide by high-resolution absorption spectroscopy was demonstrated.

Single-mode operation of a coiled multimode fiber amplifier.

We report a new approach to obtaining single-transverse-mode operation of a multimode fiber amplifier in which the gain fiber is coiled to induce significant bend loss for all but the lowest-order mode. We demonstrated this method by constructing a coiled amplifier using Yb-doped, double-clad fiber with a core diameter of 25 microm and a numerical aperture of ~0.1 (V approximately 7.4) . When the amplifier was operated as an amplified-spontaneous-emission source, the output beam had an M(2) value of 1.09 +/- 0.09 ; when seeded at 1064 nm, the slope efficiency was similar to that of an uncoiled amplifier. This technique will permit scaling of pulsed fiber lasers and amplifiers to significantly higher pulse energies and peak powers and cw fiber sources to higher average powers while maintaining excellent beam quality.

Highly efficient 4-W Yb-doped fiber amplifier pumped by a broad-stripe laser diode.

A Yb-doped double-cladding fiber amplifier is v-groove side pumped by a 100-microm -wide, broad-stripe, 975-nm laser diode. The amplifier exhibits, separately, 39% electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency, 89% internal optical-to-optical conversion efficiency, 4-W output power at 1060 nm, and a small-signal gain of 53 dB.

Development of a narrow-band, tunable, frequency-quadrupled diode laser for UV absorption spectroscopy.

A compact, lightweight, low-power-consumption source of tunable, narrow-bandwidth blue and UV radiation is described. In this source, a single-longitudinal-mode diode laser seeds a pulsed, GaAlAs tapered amplifier whose ~860-nm output is frequency quadrupled by two stages of single-pass frequency doubling. Performance of the laser system is characterized over a wide range of amplifier duty cycles (0.1-1.0), pulse durations (50 ns-1.0 mus), peak currents (

Polarization-maintaining amplifier employing double-clad bow-tie fiber.

We report a polarization-maintaining double-clad Yb-doped fiber amplifier employing bow-tie fiber. Borosilicate stress elements were incorporated into the inner cladding of the fiber, yielding a beat length of 5.1 mm at 633 nm. When the fiber was pumped at 975 nm and seeded with linearly polarized light, the polarization extinction ratio was >15 dB , independent of pump power, and the output power was as high as 3.5 W.

Polarization-maintaining, double-clad fiber amplifier employing externally applied stress-induced birefringence.

We report a new approach to obtaining linear-polarization operation of a rare-earth-doped fiber amplifier in which the gain fiber is coiled under tension to induce birefringence. We demonstrated this method by constructing an Er/Yb-doped, double-clad, single-mode fiber amplifier with an output power of 530 mW and a polarization extinction ratio of >17 dB (when seeded with linearly polarized light) at a wavelength of ~1.5 microm . The technique is achromatic, permits single- or multiple-pass operation of the amplifier, requires no additional components in the optical path, leaves the fiber ends unobstructed, and is inexpensive to implement.

High-power superfluorescent source with a side-pumped Yb-doped double-cladding fiber.

A compact superfluorescent source based on an Yb-doped double-cladding fiber amplifier is described. The packaged amplifier is pumped at 975 nm by side-coupling emission from a 2.0-W broad-stripe laser diode through an imbedded V groove. The fiber source generates 485 mW of broadband emission centered at 1055 nm with a 41-nm FWHM flat power spectrum.