Increased efficiency of vacuum ultraviolet generation by stimulated anti-Stokes Raman scattering with Stokes seeding

Stimulated anti-Stokes Raman scattering in molecular hydrogen allows for th e generation of continuously tunable narrow-bandwidth radiation down to the transmission limit of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) window materials. Simultane ous irradiation of UV-pump radiation (in this application, dye laser radiat ion of wavelength lambda = 372 nm) and of radiation whose wavelength corres ponds to the first Stokes component allows a considerable increase ineffici ency-by nearly 2 orders of magnitude in the far VUV. The additional Stokes radiation is generated in a simple manner during the passage of the unfocus ed pump radiation through a high-pressure Raman cell that precedes the VUV Raman cell. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America. OCIS codes: 190.2620, 190. 4410, 290.5910.