Abstract

Researchers who want to generate a particular visible wavelength for their work are often initially enthusiastic about the magnificent tuning range and spectral coverage of cw dye lasers, particularly when the high power available from commercial units is considered. Unfortunately this situation usually changes when extreme spectral resolution and/or frequency stability is essential for the intended application, since the laser's free-flowing jet dye stream produces a fast frequency variation which is nearly impossible to remove with a servo design based only on a piezo-electric transducer (due to its inertia and time delay), A laser beam phase noise excursion of "I radian within 1 microsecond is a typical diffusion rate, corresponding to a 300 kHz “fast” linewidth.

© 1988 Optical Society of America