SYNCHRONIZATION OF DUAL-LINE LASING AND SUBSEQUENT GIGAHERTZ MODULATION OF IODINE LASERS THROUGH MODE-LOCKING

Dual hyperfine line lasing of a Zeeman-tuned photolytic iodine laser r esulting in 14-GHz modulated laser radiation was studied experimentall y and theoretically as a function of the applied magnetic field. Synch ronization of the phases of the two hyperfine Lines necessary for opti mum gigahertz modulation was achieved by mode locking. The resulting p ulse durations of 740 ps were shorter than those previously observed w ithout a magnetic held. Short pulses, together with the possibility of scaling the results to high-power chemical-oxygen iodine lasers, make this concept attractive for a laser-driven ultrawideband microwave so urce.