OPTICAL HETERODYNE DETECTION AT 10.6 μm OF THE BEAT FREQUENCY BETWEEN A TUNABLE Pb0.88Sn0.12Te DIODE LASER AND A CO2 GAS LASER

Abstract

Optical heterodyning between a CO₂ gas laser and a current‐tunable Pb_0.88Sn_0.12Te diode laser has been observed with both lasers in CW operation. The beat frequency was tunable from under 50 MHz to 1300 MHz and from 300 MHz to 3500 MHz for heterodyne experiments with the P₂₀ and P₁₈ CO₂ laser transitions, respectively.