Kazi Monowar Abedin

10 kHz repetition rate solid-state dye laser pumped by diode-pumped solid-state laser

Abstract We describe the operation of an all solid-state pulsed dye laser of high repetition rate (10 kHz) pumped by a diode-pumped laser. Three different active media in the form of coin-sized disks were investigated: the dye rhodamine 6G doped in a copolymer of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) [Rh6G/P(MMA:HEMA)], and the dye pyrromethene 567 (PM567) doped in copolymers of MMA with pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA) and with pentaerythritol tetraacrylate (PETRA) [PM567/P(MMA:PETA) and PM567/P(MMA:PETRA)]. Pump radiation at 527nm was provided by a frequency-doubled diode-pumped Nd:YLF laser Q-switched at 10 kHz. Laser output was observed with an initial average power of 560 mW for Rh6G in P(MMA:HEMA), and with an initial average power of 430 mW for PM567 in P(MMA:PETRA) and 220 mW for PM567 in P(MMA:PETA). In the case of Rh6G/P(MMA:HEMA), the output decreased to about half the initial value after about 6.6 min (or about 4.0 million shots) due to dye degradation. The device constitutes a tunable, all solid-state, high repetition rate laser system possibly suitable for biomedical and dermatological applications.

Diffusive torsional dynamics of malachite green molecules in solid matrices probed by fluorescence decay

The torsional dynamics of phenyl rings of malachite green molecules in the excited state is studied in polymeric and monomeric glass matrices by measuring the fluorescence decay time as a function of temperature. It is shown that the phenyl rings rotate diffusively in solid polymers (polymethyl methacrylate and polyvinyl alcohol) quite rapidly even at low temperatures. To analyze the experimental results, we used the concept of microviscosity which controls the diffusive rotational motion of phenyl rings of malachite green molecules in solid matrices. By using the reaction‐rate theory, we show that a horizontal excited‐state potential surface rather than a downhill potential surface for the rotation of phenyl rings can more reasonably explain the rotational motion in polymers. If we assume that the potential is horizontal, the temperature dependence of the microviscosity can be described by Andrade equation with a definite activation energy which is known to be valid for many liquids over a wide range of temperatures. This implies that the microscopic dynamics of small molecular rotations in a solid polymer resembles the behavior in many liquids. By monitoring the fluorescence decay of malachite green molecules doped in ethanol monomeric glass during its phase transition, we show that the effects of phase transition are well represented in the fluorescence decay time. We then propose to use malachite green molecules as sensitive optical microprobes of local dynamics in various solid matrices and their phase transitions, etc.

Elemental Analyses and Determination of Lead Content in Kohl (Stone) by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Elemental analyses of kohl (stone) samples collected from three different parts of the world were performed using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The analyses indicated that lead (Pb), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), and sodium (Na) were present in all the kohl samples. In addition to these elements, the sample from Madina, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), contained the elements tin (Sn), zirconium (Zr), and antimony (Sb). The sample from Mount Toor, Egypt, also contained Sn. Also, quantitative analysis for lead was carried out by the standard addition method using the LIBS technique. The result showed the presence of 14.12 ± 0.28% by weight of Pb in the sample from Madina, which compares well with the measurement done using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) (13.31 ± 0.46%). The standard addition method used three calibration curves drawn for three emission lines of the LIBS spectra of Pb. The limits of detection (LoD) for these calibration curves varied from 0.27% to 1.16% by weight. The lead contents of the samples from Mount Toor and the local market of Bangladesh were also measured by the AAS technique, and the results were 14.61 ± 0.48% and 8.98 ± 0.35% by weight, respectively. The reason for determining only the lead content in kohl, which may be used as an eye cosmetic, is the adverse effect that lead has on health.

Construction and operation of a simple electronic speckle pattern interferometer and its use in measuring microscopic deformations

The construction and operation of a simple electronic speckle pattern interferometer (ESPI) is described. The underlying theory behind the operation of the interferometer, which is sensitive to out-of-plane displacements, is given. The interferometer uses a commercial digital still camera for image acquisition and a personal computer for image storage and analysis. The interferometer was used to measure microscopic deformations of a steel plate caused by small loads. The results were found to be in good agreement with the predictions of the elastic theory. Various possible applications of the interferometer are mentioned.

Accumulated photon echoes by using a nonlaser light source

Accumulated photon echoes have been observed by use of a light-emitting diode. This is to our knowledge the first observation of photon echoes that are excited by a nonlaser light source. In the incoherent-light photon echo, the time resolution is equal to the inverse of the overall spectral width of the excitation light. Therefore we can easily get a high time resolution by using nonlaser light with a broad spectrum. Moreover the use of nonlaser light in the photon-echo experiment will extend the technique into wavelength regions where lasers are not currently available.

Local dynamics in solid matrices investigated by malachite green optical microprobes

Abstract The nonradiative rotational dynamics of phenyl rings of malachite green molecules doped in solid polymers was studied by measuring the temperature dependence of the fluorescence decay time. The rotational motion of the phenyl rings on the flat S1 excited-state potential surface was analyzed by using the Stokes-Einstein-Debye equation. The temperature dependence of the microviscosity of the polymer hosts which controls the rotational motion of the phenyl rings was found to obey the Andrade equation with a definite activation energy which is known to be obeyed by many liquids. We found that malachite green molecules are good fluorescent probes to investigate the microscopic dynamics in solid matrices.

Laser Raman Spectroscopy with Different Excitation Sources and Extension to Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

A dispersive Raman spectrometer was used with three different excitation sources (Argon-ion, He-Ne, and Diode lasers operating at 514.5 nm, 633 nm, and 782 nm, resp.). The system was employed to a variety of Raman active compounds. Many of the compounds exhibit very strong fluorescence while being excited with a laser emitting at UV-VIS region, hereby imposing severe limitation to the detection efficiency of the particular Raman system. The Raman system with variable excitation laser sources provided us with a desired flexibility toward the suppression of unwanted fluorescence signal. With this Raman system, we could detect and specify the different vibrational modes of various hazardous organic compounds and some typical dyes (both fluorescent and nonfluorescent). We then compared those results with the ones reported in literature and found the deviation within the range of ±2 cm−1, which indicates reasonable accuracy and usability of the Raman system. Then, the surface enhancement technique of Raman spectrum was employed to the present system. To this end, we used chemically prepared colloidal suspension of silver nanoparticles as substrate and Rhodamine 6G as probe. We could observe significant enhancement of Raman signal from Rhodamine 6G using the colloidal solution of silver nanoparticles the average magnitude of which is estimated to be 103.

Measurement of in-plane motions and rotations using a simple electronic speckle pattern interferometer

We describe the construction and operation of a simple electronic speckle pattern interferometer which is sensitive to in-plane motions and rotations. The interferometer is extremely simple and easy to use. It uses a commercial digital still camera for image acquisition, and a personal computer for image storage and analysis. The interferometer was used to measure very small in-plane rotations of a rough surface, and the results were found to be in good agreement with the expected values. We propose to use this system as an instrument for the measurement of small-angle rotations.

Computer simulation of the scatter plate interferometer by scalar diffraction theory.

Detailed computer simulations of the scatter plate interferometer with random scatterers in the scatter plate are performed, for the first time to our knowledge, by use of the scalar diffraction theory in the paraxial domain. It is shown that the computer simulations produce output image patterns of the expected qualitative characteristics. A qualitative comparison of the computed pattern with the experimentally observed pattern is presented. The effects of translation of the scatter plate and distortion and tilting of the test object are also successfully simulated by the computer.

Wavelength-agile coherent tunable mid-IR ZGP-OPO source and its applications

We report the demonstration of a wavelength-agile coherent tunable mid-infrared (IR) ZnGeP2 (ZGP) optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The mid-IR wavelength was tuned by varying the KTiOPO4 (KTP) OPO pumping wavelength, while the ZGP crystal angle remained fixed. The wavelength of pump OPO was controlled by changing the KTP crystals angle using a Galvano-optical beam scanner. Our mid-IR source can jump to a arbitrary wavelength without scanning through the intermediate wavelengths. A nonlinear optical crystal ZGP is suitable for OPOs in the mid-IR region. In most cases of mid-IR light generation using an OPO, the wavelength tuning is achieved by controlling the phase-matching angle or temperature of the nonlinear optical crystal. However, there are several disadvantages of this method including the walk-off angle, beam pass instability, refraction losses due to the high refractive index of ZGP (n~3.1), slow tuning rate, and so forth. Therefore, we developed a 2-&mgr;m-band pump-wavelength tunable mid-IR ZGP-OPO source. The mid-IR wavelength from the ZGP-OPO could be tuned from 5 to 9.8 &mgr;m, when the pump wavelength was controlled from 1.95 to 2.3 &mgr;m. The output pulse energy at 8&mgr;m was 1.3mJ/pulse at repetition rate of 30Hz. As an application of random wavelength accessibility, we could achieve the real-time measurement of phase change (solidification) of candle wax by measuring the change of absorption at two arbitrary wavelengths. We selected two wavelengths on the spectrum where significant changes of absorption upon solidification were detected and performed two-wavelength absorption measurements as the sample is allowed to cool from melted state.