Compact solid-state dye polymer laser for ozone lidar applications

A solid-state dye laser for potential application as an ozone lidar transmitter is described. The solid-state dye laser material is made from a polymer host polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) injected with a pyrromethene laser dye PM-597. The laser oscillator cavity is end-pumped by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm. Broadband and narrowband laser oscillator cavities were constructed and tested. For the broadband oscillator, slope efficiency as high as 79% was achieved. A narrowband laser oscillator was constructed to generate radiation at 578 and 600 nm with 390-pm linewidth. This output was frequency doubled to 289 or 300 nm using a beta-barium borate (BBO) crystal. The oscillator cavity generated a maximum energy of 11 mJ at 578 nm when pumped by 100 mJ, 532 nm, at 10-Hz repetition rate. Maximum output energy of 380 μJ was achieved at a wavelength of 289 nm.