Stimulated anti-Stokes Raman up-converter

• Main Author: WHITE; JONATHAN C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.03.1985
• Edition: 3
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION; ELECTRICITY

An anti-Stokes Raman up-converter is disclosed which is capable of up-converting a variety of conventional laser sources. A metal-halide, for example, thallium chloride or thallium iodide, is employed as a lasing medium, and is photodissociated to create a population inversion in a metastable state of the metal ion. An excimer laser, for example, and ArF* or KrF* excimer laser, may be employed to photodissociate the metal-halide in accordance with the present invention. Alternatively, an excimer flashlamp, for example a ArF* or KrF* flashlamp, may be employed to photodissociate the metal-halide in accordance with the present invention. A conventional laser source, for example a CO2 laser or any harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser, is subsequently employed to pump the population inversion from the metastable state to a virtual level near an intermediate state. Anti-Stokes Raman lasing occurs from this virtual state, where the lasing frequency is greater than the frequency of the conventional laser pump source.