Narrow spectral width laser diode for metastable argon atoms pumping

Abstract

Diode laser pump source with narrow emitting spectrum for optically pumped metastable rare gas laser (OPRGL) of argon was achieved by employing a complex external cavity coupled with volume Bragg grating (VBG). A commercially available c-mount laser diode with rated power of 6 W was used and studied in both the free running mode and VBG external cavity. The maximum output power of 3.9 W with FWHM less than 25 pm and peak wavelength locked around 811.53 nm was obtained from the VBG external cavity laser diode. Precise control of VBG temperature enabled fine tuning of the emission wavelength over a range of 450 pm. Future researches on OPRGL of argon will benefit from it.