MIDINFRARED MOLECULAR GAS-LASERS OPTICALLY PUMPED BY A CONTINUOUSLY TUNABLE INFRARED OPTICAL PARAMETRIC OSCILLATOR

We report the observation of midinfrared super radiant pulses emitted from molecular gases pumped by a narrow-band, continuously tunable inf rared optical parametric oscillator. Molecules pumped either into a vi brational combination band or a vibrational overtone state decay by me ans of super radiant emission to a lower vibrationally excited state. Emission was observed in N2O at 4.5 and 8 mu m, and in C2H2 at 13.6 mu m and 15.7 mu m. Pulse energies as high as 0.5 mJ and pulse widths as short as 7 ns make this an excellent technique for the production of intense midinfrared light. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.