100-ps-pulse-duration, 100-J burst-mode laser for kHz-MHz flow diagnostics

Cavity-dumped burst-mode Nd:YAG laser master-oscillator power-amplifier system with a flat-top beam output realized by gain profile-controlled side pumping

We report a compact cavity-dumped burst-mode Nd:YAG laser master-oscillator power-amplifier system with a flat-top intensity distribution across the output-beam section. Custom-designed gain profile-controlled diode side pumping modules providing flat-top and concave gain profiles were utilized to generate a uniform beam profile and suppress thermal lensing during amplification, respectively. Bursts with an energy of 2.0 J and duration of 1.6 ms were operated at 10 Hz. Within the bursts, single pulses with an energy of 12.7 mJ and pulse width of 3.3 ns were achieved at 100 kHz.

Noncolinear optical parametric oscillator for broadband nanosecond pulse-burst CARS diagnostics in gases

Demonstration of broadband nanosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) using a burst-mode-pumped noncolinear optical parametric oscillator (NOPO) has been achieved at a pulse repetition rate of 40 kHz. The NOPO is pumped with the 355-nm output of a burst-mode Nd:YAG laser at 50 mJ/pulse for 45 pulses and produces an output centered near 607 nm, with a bandwidth of 370 cm^-1 at energies of 5 mJ/pulse. A planar BOXCARS phase matching scheme uses the broadband NOPO output as the Stokes beam and the narrowband 532-nm burst-mode output for the two CARS pump beams for single-laser-shot nitrogen thermometry in near adiabatic H₂/air flames at temperatures up to 2200 K.

Picosecond laser electronic excitation tagging velocimetry using a picosecond burst-mode laser

Detailed characterizations of picosecond laser electronic excitation tagging (PLEET) in pure nitrogen (N₂) and air with a 24 ps burst-mode laser system have been conducted. The burst-mode laser system is seeded with a 200 fs broadband seeding laser to achieve short pulse duration. As a non-intrusive molecular tagging velocimetry (MTV) technique, PLEET achieves "writing" via photo-dissociating nitrogen molecules and "tracking" by imaging the molecular nitrogen emissions. Key characteristics and performance of utilization of a 24 ps pulse-burst laser for MTV were obtained, including lifetime of the nitrogen emissions, power dependence, pressure dependence, and local flow heating by the laser pulses. Based on the experimental results and physical mechanisms of PLEET, 24 ps PLEET can produce similar 100 kHz molecular nitrogen emissions by photodissociation, while generating less flow disturbance by reducing laser joule heating than 100 ps PLEET.

Generation of high-energy, Gaussian laser pulses with tunable duration from 100 picoseconds to 1 millisecond

In this work, a variable-pulse-oscillator is developed and coupled with a burst-mode amplifier for generation of high-energy laser pulses with width of 100 ps to 1 ms and near-Gaussian temporal pulse shape. Pulse energy as high as 600 mJ is demonstrated at 1064 nm, with a super-Gaussian spatial profile and beam quality as good as 1.6 times the diffraction limit. A time-dependent pulse amplification model is developed and is in general agreement with experimentally measured values of output pulse energy and temporal pulse shape of the amplified pulses. Key performance parameters (pulse energy, temporal pulse shape, and spatial beam profile and quality) are analyzed as a function of pulse width across seven orders of magnitude. Additionally, the model is used to elucidate deviations between the simulated and experimental data, showing that the relationship between pulse width and output pulse energy is dominated by the variable-pulse-width oscillator performance, not the burst-mode amplifier.

Dual-output fs/ps burst-mode laser for megahertz-rate rotational coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering

A burst-mode laser system is developed for hybrid femtosecond/picosecond (fs/ps) rotational coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (RCARS) at megahertz rates. Using a common fs oscillator, the system simultaneously generates time synchronized 1061 nm, 274 fs and 1064 nm, 15.5 ps pulses with peak powers of 350 MW and 2.5 MW, respectively. The system is demonstrated for two-beam fs/ps RCARS in N₂ at 1 MHz with a signal-to-noise ratio of 176 at room temperature. This repetition rate is an order of magnitude higher than previous CARS using burst-mode ps laser systems and two to three orders of magnitude faster than previous continuously pulsed fs or fs/ps laser systems.

High-energy laser pulses for extended duration megahertz-rate flow diagnostics

Optical diagnostics of highly dynamic supersonic and hypersonic flows requires laser sources with a combination of high pulse intensities and fast repetition rates. A burst-mode Nd:YAG laser system is presented for increasing the overall energy of 532 nm pulse trains by ∼100× and the number of high-energy pulses by 30× for extended duration megahertz-rate flow diagnostics. At a lower repetition rate of 100 kHz, unprecedented energies near 1 J/pulse are achieved at 532 nm over a 1.1 ms burst. The laser performance is characterized and demonstrated for megahertz-rate laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in a Mach 2 turbulent jet.

100 kHz PLEET velocimetry in a Mach-6 Ludwieg tube

Picosecond laser electronic-excitation tagging (PLEET) was demonstrated in a Mach-6 Ludwieg tube at a repetition rate of 100 kHz using a 1064 nm, 100 ps burst-mode laser. The system performance of high-speed velocimetry in unseeded air and nitrogen Mach-6 flows at a static pressure in the range of 5-20 torr were evaluated. Based on time-resolved freestream flow measurements and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations, we concluded that the measurement uncertainty of 100 kHz PLEET measurement for Mach 6 freestream flow condition is ∼1%. The measured velocity profiles with a cone-model agreed well with the CFD computations upstream and downstream of the shockwave; downstream of the shockwave the discrepancy between the CFD and experimental measurement could be attributed to a slight nonzero angle of attack (AoA) or flow unsteadiness. Our results show the potential of utilizing 100 kHz PLEET velocimetry for understanding real-time dynamics of turbulent hypersonic flows and provide the capability of collecting sufficient data across fewer tests in large hypersonic ground test facilities.

Ultrafast background-free ro-vibrational fs/ps-CARS thermometry using an Yb:YAG crystal-fiber amplified probe

A novel laser system for ro-vibrational spectroscopy using coherent anti-Stokes Raman Scattering in hybrid fs/ps regime is presented. A single Yb:KGW laser source is used as a master laser to generate the three CARS laser beams, namely the pump and Stokes femtosecond pulses and a 58 ps probe pulse. Master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) architecture is implemented to increase the probe output power using a custom two stage free space linear amplifier. The probe is 0.37 cm^-1 in width and 100 µJ in energy to allow resolving the Q-branch ro-vibrational lines of N₂ and recording single shot CARS spectra at kHz repetition rate in flames. An original and simple technique based on the study of the influence of probe delay and polarization has been setup to optimize nonresonant background rejection, with no loss in resonant contribution. CARS performances are reported for N₂ thermometry between 300 K and 3000 K, demonstrating state of the art precision.

10 kHz simultaneous PIV/PLIF study of the diffusion flame response to periodic acoustic forcing

Response of a laminar diffusion dimethyl-ether flame forced by an acoustic field is provided. A forcing frequency of 100 Hz, which is chosen based on the typical thermo-acoustic instability frequency in a practical combustor, is applied to the flame at a Reynolds number of 250. The development of the forced vortical structures present in this flame has been investigated utilizing a burst mode laser with a repetition rate of 10 kHz. Flame/vortex interaction is visualized by planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of formaldehyde, which is used to identify the early-stage fuel decomposition in the flame. The flame structure is also correlated with the velocity field, which is obtained utilizing particle imaging velocimetry (PIV). The resulting phase-resolved and time-averaged velocity and vortex images indicate that the amplitude of excitation has pronounced effects on the flame via modifying the local heat release.

Simultaneous high-speed SO2 PLIF imaging and stereo-PIV measurements in premixed swirling flame at 20 kHz

Interactions between flow structures and premixed swirling flame were investigated using simultaneous sulfur dioxide (SO₂) planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) and stereoscopic particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) with high temporal resolution at 20 kHz. In this work, a premixed swirling flame was operated with methane and air doped with 0.5% (volume fraction) SO₂ at ambient pressure under different equivalence ratios (ϕ=0.7-1.2). The results show that global SO₂ PLIF signal shows a consistent response to the density ratio with the change of equivalence ratio, making it a good indicator for the high temperature zone and a very useful tool to study the global effect of equivalence ratio. In addition, the three-component flow structure is affected by the varying equivalence ratio and the structure of the inner recirculation zone changes accordingly. The transient results show that the circumferential velocity of some vortices outside the flame zone is inconsistent with that of the main flow and these vortices cause local flame contour curling and shedding. The high temporal resolution measurements provide more details for the study of the evolution of some isolated flame isles.

Development of a three-legged, high-speed, burst-mode laser system for simultaneous measurements of velocity and scalars in reacting flows

We report the development of a three-legged, high-speed, high-energy, burst-mode laser system for the simultaneous measurement of velocity and key combustion species in turbulent reacting flows. The laser system is designed to simultaneously amplify a four-pulse sequence [including a doublet pulse for particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements] with variable pulse separations at a repetition rate up to 500 kHz and a burst duration of 1-10 ms. With the three-legged, burst-mode laser system, we demonstrate simultaneous measurements of velocity using PIV and planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging of hydroxyl and formaldehyde in a turbulent jet flame.

Innovative scheme for high-repetition-rate imaging of CN radical

We have employed, to the best of our knowledge, a novel excitation scheme to perform the first high-repetition-rate planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) measurements of a CN radical in combustion. The third harmonic of a Nd:YVO₄ laser at 355 nm due to its relatively large linewidth overlaps with several R branch transitions in a CN ground electronic state. Therefore, the 355 nm beam was employed to directly excite the CN transitions with good efficiency. The CN measurements were performed in premixed CH₄-N₂O flames with varying equivalence ratios. A detailed characterization of the high-speed CN PLIF imaging system is presented via its ability to capture statistical and dynamical information in these premixed flames. Single-shot CN PLIF images obtained over a HMX pellet undergoing self-supported deflagration are presented as an example of the imaging system being applied towards characterizing the flame structure of energetic materials.

Seedless velocimetry at 100 kHz with picosecond-laser electronic-excitation tagging

Picosecond-laser electronic-excitation tagging (PLEET), a seedless picosecond-laser-based velocimetry technique, is demonstrated in non-reactive flows at a repetition rate of 100 kHz with a 1064 nm, 100 ps burst-mode laser. The fluorescence lifetime of the PLEET signal was measured in nitrogen, and the laser heating effects were analyzed. PLEET experiments with a free jet of nitrogen show the ability to measure multi-point flow velocity fluctuations at a 100 kHz detection rate or higher. Both spectral and dynamic mode decomposition analyses of velocity on a Ma=0.8 free jet show two dominant Strouhal numbers around 0.24 and 0.48, respectively, well within the shear-layer flapping frequencies of the free jets. This technique increases the laser-tagging repetition rate for velocimetry to hundreds of kilohertz. PLEET is suitable for subsonic through supersonic laminar- and turbulent-flow velocity measurements.

1-kHz two-dimensional coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (2D-CARS) for gas-phase thermometry

Two-dimensional gas-phase coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (2D-CARS) thermometry is demonstrated at 1 kHz in a heated jet. A hybrid femtosecond/picosecond CARS configuration is used in a two-beam phase-matching arrangement with a 100-femtosecond pump/Stokes pulse and a 107-picosecond probe pulse. The femtosecond pulse is generated using a mode-locked oscillator and regenerative amplifier that is synchronized to a separate picosecond oscillator and burst-mode amplifier. The CARS signal is spectrally dispersed in a custom imaging spectrometer and detected using a high-speed camera with image intensifier. 1-kHz, single-shot planar measurements at room temperature exhibit error of 2.6% and shot-to-shot variations of 2.6%. The spatial variation in measured temperature is 9.4%. 2D-CARS temperature measurements are demonstrated in a heated O₂ jet to capture the spatiotemporal evolution of the temperature field.

Regenerative amplification and bifurcations in a burst-mode Nd:YAG laser

An Nd:YAG-based burst-mode regenerative amplifier laser was developed that offers high extraction efficiency at high repetition rates with low seed energies. The regenerative amplification technique, combined with the burst-mode laser technology, shows promise as an efficient method for amplification of femtojoule-nanojoule pulses up to millijoule energies at repetition rates exceeding 100 kHz. Output energies at repetition rates near the inverse upper state lifetime are limited by bifurcations in the pulse energies of the burst. A model is developed and advantages and limitations are discussed.

100-kHz-rate gas-phase thermometry using 100-ps pulses from a burst-mode laser

Temperature measurements based on gas-phase coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy are demonstrated in reacting flows at a rate of 100 kHz employing a burst-mode laser with a pulse duration of ∼100  ps. The recently developed picosecond-duration, high-energy burst-mode laser is used to pump an optical parametric generator/optical parametric amplifier that produces broadband light centered at ∼680  nm to provide the Stokes beams for excitation of the rovibrational Raman transitions of H(2). The 532-nm output of the picosecond burst-mode laser is then utilized as a pump beam for the CARS process that generates 100 single-shot spectra at a rate of 100 kHz during the 1-ms duration burst. Coherent spectroscopy-based temperature measurements at 100 kHz will significantly aid the understanding of transient and unsteady flow phenomena related to turbulent combustion, transonic and hypersonic flows, high-enthalpy flows, and the dynamics of energetic materials.