Raman frequency shifting in a CH↓(4):H↓(2):Ar mixture pumped by the fourth harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser

摘要

Mixtures of methane, hydrogen, and argon (CH↓(4):H↓(2):Ar) were studied as LTV Raman shifters for ozone differential absorption lidar application. They have higher photochemical stability than pure CH↓(4) and the capability to produce, with high enough efficiency, either first CH↓(4) Stokes or, simultaneously,CH↓(4) and H↓(2) first Stokes with equal energies. These mixtures can be used as an inexpensive replacement for D↓(2) or a more stable substitute for pure CH↓(4) in single-pass high-power Raman shifters. # 1998 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 190.5650, 010.3640, 280.1910, 010.4950, 010.7030, 140.3550.