Abstract
It is well known that two primary laser beams at frequencies ω1, ω2 can be combined in a nonlinear mixing crystal to generate an output beam at the sum-frequency ω3 = ω1 + ω2, provided that the wavelength λ3 is, roughly speaking, greater than ≃200 nm. At shorter wavelengths, severe problems arise, associated both with the limited VUV transmission of crystalline materials, and with the limited extent to which three-wave mixing processes that result in VUV output can be phase-matched. However, it has long been recognized that with use of a higher-order non-linear process, four-wave difference-frequency mixing (ω3 = 2ω1 – ω2) in gases, one is no longer prevented by the two above-mentioned effects from generating coherent light at wavelengths shorter than 200 nm. In a recent investigation,1 femtosecond-time-scale VUV pulses were generated by the second method discussed above. For the input beam at ω1, 180-fsec, ≃308-nm pulses that had been amplified in a standard XeCl discharge excimer gain module were employed. For the input beam at near-IR pulses (pulsewidth 150 fsec, energy 150 μJ, wavelength ≃757 nm) were used. The input beam wavelength, λ2 was chosen so that the output beam wavelength, λ3 would be at 193 nm, i.e., at the ArF excimer wavelength. The mixing medium employed was 1 atm. of Xe gas.
© 1993 Optical Society of America
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