Population transfer and rapid passage effects in a low pressure gas using a continuous wave quantum cascade laser.

A continuous wave quantum cascade laser (cw-QCL) operating at 10 μm has been used to record absorption spectra of low pressure samples of OCS in an astigmatic Herriott cell. As a result of the frequency chirp of the laser, the spectra show clearly the effects of rapid passage on the absorption line...

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Main Authors: McCormack, E, Lowth, H, Bell, M, Weidmann, D, Ritchie, G
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2012
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author McCormack, E
Lowth, H
Bell, M
Weidmann, D
Ritchie, G
author_facet McCormack, E
Lowth, H
Bell, M
Weidmann, D
Ritchie, G
author_sort McCormack, E
collection OXFORD
description A continuous wave quantum cascade laser (cw-QCL) operating at 10 μm has been used to record absorption spectra of low pressure samples of OCS in an astigmatic Herriott cell. As a result of the frequency chirp of the laser, the spectra show clearly the effects of rapid passage on the absorption line shape. At the low chirp rates that can be obtained with the cw-QCL, population transfer between rovibrational quantum states is predicted to be much more efficient than in typical pulsed QCL experiments. This optical pumping is investigated by solving the Maxwell Bloch equations to simulate the propagation of the laser radiation through an inhomogeneously broadened two-level system. The calculated absorption profiles show good quantitative agreement with those measured experimentally over a range of chirp rates and optical thicknesses. It is predicted that at a low chirp rate of 0.13 MHz ns(-1), the population transfer between rovibrational quantum states is 12%, considerably more than that obtained at the higher chirp rates utilised in pulsed QCL experiments.
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spelling oxford-uuid:bea784d9-1b16-401c-9407-8b75518fcdc12022-03-27T05:41:19ZPopulation transfer and rapid passage effects in a low pressure gas using a continuous wave quantum cascade laser.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:bea784d9-1b16-401c-9407-8b75518fcdc1EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2012McCormack, ELowth, HBell, MWeidmann, DRitchie, GA continuous wave quantum cascade laser (cw-QCL) operating at 10 μm has been used to record absorption spectra of low pressure samples of OCS in an astigmatic Herriott cell. As a result of the frequency chirp of the laser, the spectra show clearly the effects of rapid passage on the absorption line shape. At the low chirp rates that can be obtained with the cw-QCL, population transfer between rovibrational quantum states is predicted to be much more efficient than in typical pulsed QCL experiments. This optical pumping is investigated by solving the Maxwell Bloch equations to simulate the propagation of the laser radiation through an inhomogeneously broadened two-level system. The calculated absorption profiles show good quantitative agreement with those measured experimentally over a range of chirp rates and optical thicknesses. It is predicted that at a low chirp rate of 0.13 MHz ns(-1), the population transfer between rovibrational quantum states is 12%, considerably more than that obtained at the higher chirp rates utilised in pulsed QCL experiments.
spellingShingle McCormack, E
Lowth, H
Bell, M
Weidmann, D
Ritchie, G
Population transfer and rapid passage effects in a low pressure gas using a continuous wave quantum cascade laser.
title Population transfer and rapid passage effects in a low pressure gas using a continuous wave quantum cascade laser.
title_full Population transfer and rapid passage effects in a low pressure gas using a continuous wave quantum cascade laser.
title_fullStr Population transfer and rapid passage effects in a low pressure gas using a continuous wave quantum cascade laser.
title_full_unstemmed Population transfer and rapid passage effects in a low pressure gas using a continuous wave quantum cascade laser.
title_short Population transfer and rapid passage effects in a low pressure gas using a continuous wave quantum cascade laser.
title_sort population transfer and rapid passage effects in a low pressure gas using a continuous wave quantum cascade laser
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