UV — Generation in CW Dye Lasers

Molecules whose electronic transitions lie in the UV portion of the electromagnetic spectrum far outnumber those in the visible. Consequently, it is of considerable chemical interest to extend tunable coherent light sources to shorter wavelengths. Potential applications are numerous including photo-chemical, kinetic, analytical and spectroscopic studies. Because dye lasers are limited to wavelengths above 330 nm, the production of deeper UV light requires the use of non linear optics such as sum frequency mixing and harmonic generation1.