A linear optical trap with active medium for experiments with high power laser pulses.
A linear optical trap for circulating high power laser pulses and tuning these pulses to high repetition frequency of several tens of MHz has been developed. A ns excimer pumped dye laser pulse has been injected with help of a Wollaston prism and a synchronized Pockels cell into an optical trap formed by two highly reflecting mirrors in a linear configuration. The test was done at λ = 580 nm, but the optical trap can be used without limitations in a broad band of optical wavelengths (400-700 nm). Power considerations give an increase of the efficiency of the optical trap of about 7 times compared to single passage of the laser pulse through the experimental section. The time structure of the trapped laser pulses can be controlled by changing the distance between the two high reflecting mirrors. The efficiency of the optical trap strongly depends upon optical losses. To compensate the optical losses, an amplifying cell was introduced, and the efficiency was about 60 times higher than that by single passage of the laser pulse through the experimental section.
Physics Department, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
Tarek
T
Mohamed
Manne Sigbahn Laboratory, Frescativägen 24, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden.
Guillermo
G
Andler
Physics Department, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
Reinhold
R
Schuch