Perera M, Tom BA, Miyamoto Y, Porambo MW, Moore LE, Evans WR, Momose T, McCall BJ. Refractive index measurements of solid parahydrogen.
OPTICS LETTERS 2011;
36:840-842. [PMID:
21403702 DOI:
10.1364/ol.36.000840]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Solid para-H2 is a promising gain medium for stimulated Raman scattering, due to its high number density and narrow Raman linewidth. In preparation for the design of a cw solid hydrogen Raman laser, we have made the first measurements, to our knowledge, of the index of refraction of a solid para-H2 crystal, in the wavelength range of 430-1100 nm. For a crystal stabilized at 4.4 K, this refractive index is measured to be n(p-H2)=1.130±0.001 at 514 nm. A slight, but significant, dependence on the final crystal-growth temperature is observed, with higher n(p-H2) at higher crystal-growth temperatures. Once a crystal is grown, it can be heated up to 10 K with no change in n(p-H2). The refractive index varies only slightly over the observed wavelength range, and no significant birefringence was observed.
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