B. S. Dumesh

Millimeter-wave intracavity-jet OROTRON-spectrometer for investigation of van der Waals complexes

A highly sensitive intracavity millimeter-wave spectrometer was developed for the investigation of the absorption spectra of van der Waals complexes in a supersonic jet. The key element of the spectrometer is a tunable oscillator, called OROTRON, which generates the millimeter-wave radiation through the interaction of an electron beam with the electromagnetic field of a high quality (Q≈104) Fabry–Perot resonant cavity. This cavity consists of a movable spherical mirror and a fixed planar mirror with the periodic structure imprinted on its surface. The electron beam moves along the periodic structure of the plane mirror. This part separated from the rest of the resonator by a mica foil is kept under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The molecular jet is injected by a pulsed valve into the other part of the resonator. The absorption in the jet is sensitively detected by measuring the electric current in a special collector circuit of the OROTRON. The spectral purity of the OROTRON radiation is 10–15 kHz providin...

Terahertz Orotrons and Oromultipliers

The capabilities of two types of terahertz sources based on stimulated Smith-Purcell radiation of electrons in open cavities are discussed. A series of developed pulsed orotrons provides coherent radiation with an output power of 1-0.1 W in the frequency range of 90-410 GHz, with high frequency stability and broad-band electromechanical frequency tuning. A promising alternative source with smaller currents than that in orotrons is a frequency multiplier based on excitation of a surface wave of a periodic structure and Smith-Purcell radiation of arising electron bunches inside the orotron cavity. In contrast to a number of works where only an open grating is used, exploiting a cavity enables a stimulated radiation process with a much higher power. The developed theory demonstrates the possibility of single-mode generation in such multipliers with wide electron beams.

Detection of the millimeter wave spectra of the weakly bound complexes 3He–CO and 4He–CO

For the first time, millimeter wave absorption spectra of the van der Waals complexes 3He–CO and 4He–CO were detected in a supersonic jet. Altogether four rotational transitions of 3He–CO and six rotational transitions of 4He–CO were recorded between 110 GHz and 127 GHz with an intracavity spectrometer based on the millimeter wave generator, called OROTRON. The obtained results were included in a global fit together with previously known data enabling a more precise determination of the energy levels of the 3He–CO and 4He–CO complexes. In extremely cold, dark, and dense interstellar clouds the He–CO complex may have astrophysical relevance.

Discovery of the rotational spectrum of the weakly bound complex CO–H2

Rotational transitions of the CO–H2 van der Waals complex have been measured between 108 and 125 GHz in a supersonic jet. Three absorption lines were recorded and assigned as belonging to CO–paraH2 with a new highly sensitive intracavity spectrometer based on the millimeter wave generator, called OROTRON. The results provide confirmation of the recent infrared data of McKellar at 4.7 μm, enabling a more precise determination of the energies of the rotational levels with different parity in the vibrational ground state. The measured millimeter wave transitions provide precise frequencies for an astronomical search of CO–paraH2.

The CO dimer millimeter wave spectrum: Detection of tunneling transitions

A portion of the CO dimer millimeter wave absorption spectrum has been studied by using our highly sensitive intracavity-jet OROTRON spectrometer in the frequency range from 131 to 174 GHz. By varying the CO concentration in the Ne/CO gas mixture feeding the supersonic jet expansion, the effective temperature of the beam could be changed, revealing a correlation between the observed line intensity and the relative energy of the respective lower state energy levels. Using this temperature dependence and the technique of combination differences together with the data from the infrared study of Brookes and McKellar [J. Chem. Phys. 111, 7321 (1999)], out of over 200 observed transitions, a total of 19 lines could be assigned. All assigned millimeter-wave transitions are tunneling transitions. They belong to four subbands, which connect seven lower energy levels with A+ symmetry to ten previously unknown upper energy levels with A− symmetry. The A+ and A− separation signifies the tunneling splitting of the CO ...

Rotational Spectroscopy of the CO-para-H2 Molecular Complex

The rotational spectrum of the CO-para-H2 van der Waals complex, produced using a molecular jet expansion, was observed with two different techniques: OROTRON intracavity millimeter-wave spectroscopy and pulsed Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Thirteen transitions in the frequency range from 80 to 130 GHz and two transitions in the 14 GHz region were measured and assigned, allowing for a precise determination of the corresponding energy level positions of CO-para-H2. The data obtained enable further radio astronomical searches for this molecular complex and provide a sensitive test of the currently best available intermolecular potential energy surface for the CO-H2 system.

Sources of Coherent Terahertz Radiation

New results in the field of high‐frequency gyrotrons, gyro‐multipliers and orotrons allow one to consider these electron devices as promising candidates for the realization of powerful and available sources in Terahertz range. Electron beams with a very high compression of up to a factor of 4,400 have been obtained and selective generation at the 1st–5th cyclotron harmonics have been demonstrated in Large Orbit Gyrotrons (LOGs) at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths at operating voltages from 50 to 250 kV. When operating at the third cyclotron harmonic (TE3,8 and TE3,9 modes in the first oscillator; TE3,5 mode in the second oscillator) output power levels of 10–20 kW have been obtained in the frequency range of 0.37–0.41 THz. Gyro‐multipliers with self‐exciting low‐frequency sections are proposed and studied theoretically. Low‐voltage orotrons have been demonstrated in the frequency range of 0.1–0.4 THz with output powers of 1.0–0.1 W and typical electrical‐mechanical frequency tunability within an o...

The weakly bound complex CO–orthoD2: Detection of millimeter-wave transitions

For the first time two rotational transitions of the CO–orthoD2 van der Waals molecular complex have been recorded in a supersonic jet and assigned to the two R-branch transitions, R(1) (J,j,l)=2,1,1←1,0,1 112 806.515(50) MHz, R(2)=3,1,2,←2,0,2 119 746.484(50) MHz. These transitions were detected with the highly sensitive intracavity spectrometer based on the millimeter wave generator, called OROTRON. Their measured frequencies are in close agreement with the frequency positions predicted from the infrared spectrum, which accompanies the fundamental band of CO in the 4.7 μm region, and which has been published recently by McKellar [J. Chem. Phys. 112, 9282 (2000)]. The millimeter wave transitions will allow a precise determination of the rotational levels with different parity in the vibrational vCO=0 ground state.

Highly sensitive millimetre-wave spectrometer based on an orotron

The design and operation of a gas millimetre-wave spectrometer based on a tunable generator orotron are presented. The absorption cell occupies a part of the high quality (Q approximately=104) orotron Fabry-Perot cavity. The limit of sensitivity gamma min approximately=(3-5)*10-10 cm-1 has been achieved with source frequency modulation at the output band of a receiver of 1 Hz. The narrow spectral width of the orotron radiation (10-15 kHz without locking) provides the Doppler resolution of spectral lines. An absorption signal of gas under investigation is detected by variations of the collector current of the orotron. New results on rotational transition of SiH4 in a vibrational dyad v2/v4 with the absorption coefficient gamma approximately=10-8 cm-1 are briefly given as an illustration of the sensitivity of this spectrometer.

Millimeter-wave spectroscopy of weakly bound molecular complexes: Isotopologues of He-CO

Van der Waals complexes consisting of helium atoms and carbon monoxide molecules, He-12C16O, He-13C16O, He-12C18O, and He-13C18O are studied in the frequency range 110–140 GHz on an intracavity orotron-based spectrometer. Ten new lines, which correspond to rotational transitions and transitions to the bending vibration of the complex, are detected and identified as lines belonging to the R and P branches. The positions of the energy levels of isotopologue of the He-CO complex are refined by joint analysis of both the transition frequencies measured in this study and previously published microwave and infrared data. Isotopic dependences of the positions of the He-CO energy levels are obtained. These results can serve as the starting point for studying small helium clusters with embedded CO molecules.