Nato ASI Series 132 Advanced Science Institutes Series Neal B. Abraham · F. T. Arecchi Aram Mooradian · Alberto Sona Editors Physics of New Laser Sources Physics of New Laser Sources NATO ASI Series Advanced Science Institutes Series A series presenting the results of activities sponsored by the NATO Science Committee, which aims at the dissemination of advanced scientific and technological knowledge, with a view to strengthening links between scientific communities. The series is published by an international board of publishers in conjunction with the NATO Scientific Affairs Division A Life Sciences Plenum Publishing Corporation B Physics New York and London C Mathematical D. Reidel Publishing Company and Physical Sciences Dordrecht, Boston, and Lancaster D Behavioral and Social Sciences Martinus Nijhoff rublishers E Engineering and The Hague, Boston, and Lancaster Materials Sciences F Computer and Systems Sciences Springer-Verlag G Ecological Sciences Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, and Tokyo Recent Volumes in this Series Volume 126-Perspectives in Particles and Fields: Cargese 1983 edited by Maurice Levy, Jean-Louis Basdevant, David Speiser, Jacques Weyers, Maurice Jacob, and Raymond Gastmans Volume 127-Phenomena Induced by Intermolecular Interactions edited by G. Birnbaum Volume 128-Techniques and Concepts of High-Energy Physics Ill edited by Thomas Ferbel Volume 129-Transport in Nonstoichiometric Compounds edited by George Simkovich and Vladimir S. Stubican Volume 130-Heavy lon Collisions: Cargese 1984 edited by Paul Bonche, Maurice Levy, Philippe Quentin, and Dominique Vautherin Volume 131- Physics of Plasma-Wall Interactions in Controlled Fusion edited by D. E. Post and R. Behrisch Volume 132-Physics of New Laser Sources edited by Neal B. Abraham, F. T. Arecchi, Aram Mooradian, and Alberto Sona Series 8: Physics Physics of New Laser Sources Edited by Neal B. Abraham Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania F. T. Arecchi University of Florence and National Institute of Optics Florence, Italy Aram Mooradian Li nco In Laboratory Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lexington, Massachusetts and Alberto Sona C.I.S.E. (Center of Information, Studies and Experiments) Segrate, Milan, Italy SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Physics of New Laser Sources, held July 11-21, 1984, in San Miniato, Tuscany, Italy Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data NATO Advanced Study Institute on Physics of New Laser Sources (1984: San Miniato, Italy) Physics of new laser sources. (NATO ASI series. Series B, Physics; v. 132) "Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Physics of New Laser Sources, held July 11-21,1984, in San Miniato, Tuscany, ltaly"-T.p. verso. "Published in cooperation with NATO Scientific Affairs Division." Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Lasers-Congresses. 2. Quantum electronics-Congresses. I. Abraham, Neal B. II. North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Scientific Affairs Division. Ill. Title. IV. Series. QC685.N39 1984 535.5'8 85-24386 ISBN 978-1-4757-6189-4 ISBN 978-1-4757-6187-0 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4757-6187-0 © 1985 Springer Science+Business Media New York Originally published by Plenum Press, New York in 1985 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means. electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher PREFACE This volume contains the lectures and seminars presented at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on "Physics of New Laser Sources", the twelfth course of the Europhysics School of Quantum Electronics, held under the supervision of the Quantum Electronics Division of the European Physical Society. The Institute was held at Centro "I Cappuccini" San Miniato, Tuscany, July 11-21, 1984. The Europhysics School of Quantum Electronics was started in 1970 with the aim of providing instruction for young researchers and advanced students already engaged in the area of quantum electronics or for those wishing to switch into this area after working previously in other areas. From the outset, the School has been under the direction of Prof. F. T. Arecchi, then at the University of Pavia, now at the University of Florence, and Dr. D. Roess of Heraeus, Hanau. In 1981, Prof. H. Walther, University of Munich and Max-Planck Institut fur Quantenoptik joined as co-director. Each year the Directors choose a subj~ct of particular interest, alternating fundamental topics with technological ones, and ask colleagues specifically competent in the chosen areas to take the scientific responsibility for that course. The past courses were devoted to the following themes: 1) 1971: "Physical and Technical Measurements with Lasers" 2) 1972: "Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulses" 3) 1973: "Laser Frontiers: Short Wavelength and High Powers" 4) 1974: "Cooperative Phenomena in Multicomponent Systems" 5) 1975: "Molecular Spectroscopy and Photochemistry with Lasers" 6) 1976: "Coherent Optical Engineering" v 7) 1977: "Coherence in Spectroscopy and Modern Physics" 8) 1979: "Lasers in Biology and Medicine" 9) 1980: "Physical Processes in Laser Material Interactions" 10) 1981: "Advances in Laser Spectroscopy" 11) 1982: "Laser Applications to Chemistry" 12) 1984: "Physics of New Laser Sources" The first five courses were held in Erice, Sicily, at the Centre for Scientific Culture "Ettore Majorana", the next four were held at Villa Le Pianore, Camaiore, Tuscany. Beginning in 1981, thanks to generosity of Cassa di Risparmio di San Miniato, we have held the school in a conference center resulting from the restoration of an ancient convent in the countryside, very close to the small city of San Miniato, that is, just in the heart of Tuscany (equidistant from Florence, Pisa and Siena). Prof. F. T. Arecchi, Prof. N. B. Abraham of Bryn Mawr College, Prof. A. Sana of CISE and Prof. A. Mooradian of the Massachussetts Institute of Technology undertook the scientific direction of the present courses, selecting the specific topics and lectures. This Institute was classified by the NATO Scientific Affairs Division as part of its "Double Jump" Program because its topics seemed likely to be of interest to scientists from national and industrial laboratories as well as serving the needs of the academic community. In fact, twenty-four years after the operation of the first laser, we are witnessing widespread implementation of laser devices and laser technologies in industrial processes and commercial systems. The needs of the laser user-community have stimulated the search for new classes of laser sources with some exotic characteristics· in comparison with the now "conventional" characteristics of the first generation of lasers. New laser sources are often rapidly incorporated into certain research and technological applications because they are designed for specific uses. However, the broader scientific community is often much slower to adopt new systems because they are of uncertain reliability and, more importantly, because the scientists are unfamiliar with the capabilities of these new sources. Through this ASI we intended to provide an understanding of the advantages and potential applications of maturing new sources and to provide the basis for participants to evaluate vi and explore uses of even more novel sources currently under design or development. The "double jump" character perceived by the NATO sponsors also attracted many contributions from industries which provided either lecturers from among their experts or fellowships for other participants. Hence, in addition to the support of the NATO Scientific Affairs Division, we wish to acknowledge the contributions and cosponsorship of the Institute by the following organizations: Allied Corporation Apollo Lasers AT&T Bell Laboratories Cassa di Risparmio di San Miniato Coherent GmbH Coherent, Inc Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche CSELT ENEA FIAR Fondazione Ugo Bordoni Hughes Aircraft Co. IBM - Italy Istituto Nazionale di Ottica Lambda-Physik Laser Focus Laser-Optronic GmbH Nippon Electronic Co. Quantel Selenia Spectra Physics GmbH USAF European Office of Aerospace Research and Development u.s. Army European Research Office W.C. Heraus GmbH In addition, the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst contributed three fellowships for the participation of German graduate students. Finally, we offer our special thanks to Mrs. M. Petrone of the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica for her invaluable assistance in the organization of the Institute, and to her, Miss A. Camnasio of Servizio Documentazione, CISE, and Miss A. C. Arecchi for their assistance during the course itself. In addition, thanks are due to the staff of Cassa di Risparmio di San Miniato for the operation of the conference center and to Mrs. I. Arecchi for the organization of the social events. Finally we thank J. R. Tredicce for his able assistance in the final editing of the manuscript. vii We note particularly that this volume includes not only specially written tutorial lectures as is the customary procedure, but in certain appropriate instances reprints of selected articles are used to present the highlights of fields or applications. This approach, which amounts to a guided tour of the most recent research literature, may ultimately become the standard route to efficient surveys of this type without the labor of preparing redundant camera-ready manuscripts. N. B. Abraham F. T. Arecchi A. Mooradian A. Sona viii CONTENTS Tunable Short-Wavelength Laser Sources • • . • • • 1 B. P. Stoicheff Excimer Lasers: Practical Excimer Laser Sources. • 15 P. Burlamacchi Excimer Laser Applications • 33 D. Basting and U. Sowada Properties of Alexandrite Lasers 43 J.C. Walling New Developments in CW Dye Lasers •• 69 B. Peuse Selected Reprints on Pulse Compression I. Temporal Compression of Light . • . . • . 79 J.K. Wigmore and D.R. Grischkowsky II. Recompression of Optical Pulses Broadened by Passage Through Optical Fibers . . . . 95 H. Nakatsuka and D. Grischkowsky III. Nonlinear Picosecond-Pulse Propagation Through Optical Fibers with Positive Group Velocity Dispersion • • • • • • • • 101 H. Nakatsuka, D. Grischkowsky and A.C. Balant IV. Optical Pulse Compression Based on Enhanced Frequency Chirping . • . • . . 109 D. Grischkowsky and A.C. Balant V. Pulse Compression Using Optical Fibers. • 117 B. Nikolaus and D. Grischkowsky Spectral Characteristics of Semiconductor Diode Lasers. • •••••••••••• 123 A. Mooradian ix