Efficient Tunable Visible Laser Source.

In this final report, we summarize the design and performance of an optically phase-conjugated tunable visible dye laser system, and the frequency doubled Q- switched NdYAG laser used to drive it. This high-brightness laser source utilized optical phase-conjugation OPC via Stimulated Brillouin Scattering SBS in a double-passed dye laser cell containing Rhodamine 6G in methanol. The dye cell it-self served as the SBS active medium. The use of SBS to remove optical abberrations in laser systems is relatively well-known the implementation described herein is unique and can be used to provide a very compact tunable laser source. We have produced a 561 improvement in beam brightness and a 2.74 times improvement in beam jitter using the SBS in the double passed amplifier over using an ordinary retro mirror. This increase in beam brightness is due to a significant improvement in beam quality, and some pulse compression, obtained by using SBS. Output energypulse of 23 mJ has been demonstrated at 10 Hz and 560 nm output wavelength tunability from 554 to 574 nm has also been demonstrated. jg