INFRARED DIFFERENCE-FREQUENCY GENERATION USING A TUNABLE DYE LASER

Abstract
Intense infrared radiation has been produced in the 3–4μ region by generating the difference frequency between a wavelength‐tunable dye laser and a Q‐switched ruby laser. Saturation of the conversion of ruby photons to sum‐and‐difference frequencies was observed on a single pass through a phase‐matched LiNbO3 crystal. The system appears to be attractive as a simple, highly efficient, and broadly tunable infrared source.