High Resolution Linear Laser Absorption Spectroscopy-Review

Abstract

Throughout the optical spectral region from the visible to the far infrared, lasers have in recent years become increasingly important for high resolution spectroscopy in both laboratory measurements and practical applications. In general, laser sources can be classified into broadly tunable and discretely tunable types with the gas laser belonging to the latter. While gas lasers oscillate in narrow lines scattered throughout the optical spectral region, broadly tunable laser emissions cover a range of wide spectral region depending on the lasing media and operating characteristics. For example, the Pb-salt diode laser covers the spectral region from about 2.6 to 30 μm, the dye laser from 400 to 700 nm, the color center laser from 0.8 to 3.3 μm, the difference frequency spectrometer from 2.2 to 4.2 μm and the spin-flip Raman laser from 5.2 to 6.0 μm. The very limited tunability of the gas laser can sometimes be extended to many times the Doppler width by Zeeman tuning the gain medium or pressure broadening the gain profile or electrooptically modulating the laser output frequency with a tunable microwave source.