Abstract

We report the characterization of a 10-Hz pulsed, narrow-band source that is coincident with a fundamental ν ₃ rovibrational absorption of methane at 3.43 μm. To generate this midinfrared wavelength, an injection-seeded 1.06-μm Nd:YAG laser is difference frequency mixed with first Stokes light generated in a high-pressure methane cell (1.06 → 1.54 μm) to result in light at a wavelength of 3.43 μm, that is, the ν ₁ Raman active frequency of methane (~2916.2 cm⁻¹). With a modest-energy Nd:YAG laser (200 mJ), a few millijoules of this midinfrared energy can be generated with a pulse width of ~7 ns (FWHM). The methane ν ₁ frequency can be pressure tuned over 8–32 atm (corresponding to ~13 GHz) and scanned across part of the ν ₁ P(10) rovibrational level of methane, resulting in a peak measured methane absorption coefficient of 4.2 cm⁻¹ atm⁻¹.

© 1996 Optical Society of America

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