All-solid-state stimulated Raman scattering-based source of pulsed radiation tunable in 345-625 and 690-1250 nm ranges for spectroscopic applications

The generation characteristics of a barium nitrate Raman laser with pumping by a narrowband tunable nanosecond (tau(p) approximate to 9 ns) Ti:Sapphir e laser were studied for the first time. The generation of the first three Stokes components of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and their second har monics was obtained with a spectral linewidth of <0.4 cm(-1) and tuning ran ges 930-1250 and 455-625 mn, The efficiencies of energy conversion obtained for the first, second and third SRS components were eta(1s), = 60%, eta(2s ), = 49% and eta(3s) = 33%, respectively. On the basis of the investigated barium nitrate Raman laser, an all-solid-state laser system was built for v arious spectroscopic applications, which provides powerful narrowband pulse d radiation tunable in the spectral ranges 345-625 and 690-1250 nn, The app licability of the constructed laser system in Raman spectroscopy was succes sfully tested by performing a saturation resonance Raman experiment on nick el porphyrin in water solution. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.