Mid to far infrared diamond Raman laser systems and methods

A mid- to far-infrared solid-state Raman laser system comprising:

• a pump source for generating a pump beam having a first wavelength in the range of 3 micrometers to 7.5 micrometers and being a pulsed pump beam comprising pump pulses at the first wavelength of intensity between 0.1 GW/cm2 and 60 GW/cm2 and a pulse width between about 1 ns and 100 ns;
• a resonator cavity comprising:
• an input reflector adapted to be highly transmissive for light with the first wavelength for admitting the pump beam with the first wavelength into the resonator cavity;
• a solid-state diamond Raman material located in the resonator cavity for Raman shifting the pump beam and generating a second wavelength in the range of 5.5 to 100 micrometers and being on the long wavelength side of a two-phonon absorption band in the solid-state diamond Raman material, the solid state Raman material having a nitrogen impurity content less than 10000 ppb;
• and
• an output reflector adapted to be partially transmissive for light with the second wavelength on the long wavelength side of the two phonon-absorption band for resonating the second wavelength in the resonator without two-phonon absorption within the solid-state diamond Raman material and for outputting an output beam, the input reflector further being adapted to be highly reflective at the second wavelength for resonating the second wavelength in the resonator.

A method for generating a mid- to far-infrared beam in a solid-state Raman laser system comprising:

• generating a pump beam having a first wavelength in the range of 3 micrometers to 7.5 micrometers and being a pulsed pump beam comprising pump pulses at the first wavelength of intensity between about 0.1 GW/cm2 and about 60 GW/cm2 and a pulse width between about 1 ns and 100 ns;
• providing a resonator cavity comprising:
• an input reflector adapted to be highly transmissive for light with the first wavelength for admitting the pump beam with the first wavelength into the resonator cavity;
• a solid-state diamond Raman material located in the resonator cavity for Raman shifting the pump beam and generating a second wavelength in the range of 5.5 to 100 micrometers and being on the long wavelength side of a two-phonon absorption band in the solid-state diamond Raman material;
• and an output reflector adapted to be partially transmissive for the second wavelength on the long wavelength side of the two-phonon absorption band for resonating the second wavelength in the resonator without two-phonon absorption within the solid-state diamond Raman material and for outputting an output beam, the input reflector further being adapted to be highly reflective at the second wavelength for resonating the second wavelength in the resonator, the solid-state diamond Raman material having a nitrogen impurity content less than 10000 ppb;
• directing the pump beam with the first wavelength into the resonator cavity and incident on the Raman material thereby inducing stimulated Raman scattering in the Raman material and generating the second wavelength;
• and
• outputting the output beam with the second wavelength from the resonator cavity.

A mid- to far-infrared solid state Raman laser system comprising:

• a pump source for generating a pump beam having a first wavelength in the range of 3 micrometers to 7.5 micrometers and being a pulsed pump beam comprising pump pulses at the first wavelength of intensity between 0.1 GW/cm2 and 60 GW/cm2 and a pulse width between about 1 ns and 100 ns;
• a resonator cavity comprising:
• an input reflector adapted to be highly transmissive for light with the first wavelength for admitting the pump beam with the first wavelength into the resonator cavity;
• and an output reflector adapted to be partially transmissive for light with a second wavelength in the range of 5.5 to 100 micrometers for resonating the second wavelength in the resonator and for outputting an output beam, the input reflector further being adapted to be highly reflective at the second wavelength for resonating the second wavelength in the resonator;
• a solid-state diamond Raman material located in the resonator cavity for Raman shifting the pump beam and generating the second wavelength, the solid-state diamond Raman material having a nitrogen impurity content less than 10000 ppb;
• and
• a heat sink in thermal contact with the solid-state diamond Raman material and operable to cool the solid-state diamond Raman material to reduce two-phonon absorption therein.