新的氮氩露天激光器研究可能会改变激光界

来自加州大学洛杉矶分校 (UCLA) 和马克斯玻恩研究所的一组研究人员发表了一项研究，展示了使用氮气和氩气来产生激光。

A team of researchers from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Max Born Institute have published a study demonstrating the use of Nitrogen and Argon to create laser light. The study builds on decades of research into the field of creating open-air lasers, which could one day help to improve sensors, robotics, and much more.

来自加州大学洛杉矶分校 (UCLA) 和马克斯玻恩研究所的一组研究人员发表了一项研究，展示了使用氮气和氩气来产生激光。这项研究建立在数十年对露天激光器领域的研究基础上，有一天可能有助于改进传感器、机器人等。

Here's what you need to know.

这是您需要了解的内容。

Laser Tech

激光技术

For decades, the primary way lasers operated was by shooting a beam of light through an optical cavity at a pair of mirrors. These mirrors are constructed and angled in a manner that enables the light to be bounced back and forth between the devices. This bouncing action amplifies the intensity of that light, creating the focused beam you see.

几十年来，激光器工作的主要方式是通过光学腔向一对镜子发射光束。这些镜子的构造和角度使得光线能够在设备之间来回反射。这种弹跳动作增强了光的强度，形成您看到的聚焦光束。

Open-Air Lasers

露天激光器

Since the beginning of laser research, there have been engineers seeking to create laser light without the use of amplification cavities and mirrors. Within this research, there is a subsection of engineers who seek to create open-air lasers. These devices utilize interactions between particles excited by intense light to form laser light. Until recently, this scientific concept was not possible. However, it appears that the tides have changed following the publication of this recent study.

自激光研究开始以来，一直有工程师寻求在不使用放大腔和镜子的情况下产生激光。在这项研究中，有一小部分工程师致力于制造露天激光器。这些设备利用强光激发的粒子之间的相互作用来形成激光。直到最近，这个科学概念还是不可能的。然而，随着这项最新研究的发表，潮流似乎发生了变化。

Nitrogen Argon Open-Air Laser Study

氮氩露天激光研究

The study delves into using Nitrogen and Argon mixtures to induce cavity-free lasing in atmospheric air. The study, published in Physical Review Letters, introduces the concept and a working model that accomplished photon-mediated energy transference between N2 and Ar, resulting in a superfluorescence response.

该研究深入研究使用氮气和氩气混合物在大气中诱导无空腔激光。该研究发表在《物理评论快报》上，介绍了实现 N2 和 Ar 之间光子介导的能量转移的概念和工作模型，从而产生超荧光响应。

The team's research looks at many different concepts, as ambient air has different components that could make a superfluorescent response. To verify that Argon and Nitrogen were the active components in the response, the team needed to monitor the coupling of the two in an oxygen-stable environment. The tests revealed some interesting results, including bidirectional lasing effects, which opened the door for a variety of new scientific experiments to begin.

该团队的研究着眼于许多不同的概念，因为环境空气有不同的成分可以产生超荧光反应。为了验证氩气和氮气是响应中的活性成分，研究小组需要在氧气稳定的环境中监测两者的耦合。这些测试揭示了一些有趣的结果，包括双向激光效应，这为各种新的科学实验的开始打开了大门。

Open-Air Lasers – Testing

露天激光器 – 测试

The testing started with engineers using a 261 nm pump laser to excite the gases. The goal was to gain a deeper understanding of why the mixture of argon undergoes a reduction in ionization rate. This test led to the engineers focusing on the 3-photon resonant absorption of 261 nm photons in Ar. Here they discovered a direct correlation with the bidirectional lasing effect.

测试开始时，工程师使用 261 nm 泵浦激光器来激发气体。目标是更深入地了解为什么氩气混合物的电离率会降低。这项测试使工程师们将注意力集中在氩气中 261 nm 光子的 3 光子共振吸收上。在这里，他们发现了与双向激光效应的直接相关性。

This bidirectional cascading lasing effect was tested using a variety of parameters to ensure the details of the conversion were recorded. The test revealed that mixing nitrogen with argon created the desired response, whereas other mixtures didn’t produce any bidirectional laser light pulse. Zooming in revealed that 3-photon absorption of 261 nm photons by Ar atoms specifically creates emission of cascaded superfluorescence. This revelation was a major discovery as it was previously unknown that a photon-mediated mechanism that transfers energy from N2 to Ar was a possibility.

使用各种参数测试了这种双向级联激光效应，以确保记录转换的细节。测试表明，将氮气与氩气混合会产生所需的响应，而其他混合物不会产生任何双向激光脉冲。放大显示，Ar 原子对 261 nm 光子的 3 光子吸收特异性地产生了级联超荧光的发射。这一发现是一项重大发现，因为之前不知道光子介导的机制是否有可能将能量从 N2 转移到 Ar。

The next steps began with frequency testing. Researchers shifted through different frequencies until they noticed that nitrogen molecules exhibit nonlinear-3-photon absorption in an electronically excited state when exposed for 261 nm to Argon resonating at a slightly different frequency. This data was then gathered to be used to create new formulas to model future experiments.

接下来的步骤从频率测试开始。研究人员改变了不同的频率，直到他们注意到当氮分子暴露在 261 nm 的氩气中，并以稍微不同的频率共振时，氮分子在电子激发态下表现出非线性 3 光子吸收。然后收集这些数据，用于创建新的公式来模拟未来的实验。

Results

结果

The study shows some promising results that could upend the laser community. For one, the team successfully produced bidirectional cascaded lasting effects in atmospheric air. Specifically, the engineers were able to create two colored, bidirectional lasings via an open-air cavity-free setup.

该研究显示了一些有希望的结果，可能会颠覆激光界。其一，该团队成功地在大气中产生了双向级联持久效应。具体来说，工程师能够通过露天无腔装置创建两种彩色的双向激光。

The research also sheds light on some unexpected discoveries. For one, the team noticed that the amount of oxygen used during the mixture affected the interaction between the argon and nitrogen molecules. Their research shows that a 1% O2 mixture is ideal for cavity-free, bidirectional, and laser-like emission.

这项研究还揭示了一些意想不到的发现。首先，研究小组注意到混合过程中使用的氧气量会影响氩气和氮气分子之间的相互作用。他们的研究表明，1% 的氧气混合物是无腔、双向和类激光发射的理想选择。

Open-Air Laser Benefits

露天激光的好处

This technology brings several benefits to the market. For one, it enables the creation of lasers with less mechanical parts. Open-air lasers will require less technical and manufacturing to produce. These lower costs will result in more use-case applications.

这项技术给市场带来了多项好处。其一，它可以用更少的机械部件制造激光器。露天激光器的生产需要较少的技术和制造。这些较低的成本将带来更多的用例应用程序。

Stability

稳定

The use of mirrors in today's lasers is one of their greatest weaknesses. These tiny devices need to be calibrated perfectly and aligned to create the beam of light you expect. Any small deviation from the unit's original calibration can result in the device becoming useless. As the use of lasers continues to expand into large commercial and military applications, there is a strong demand for lasers with less moving components. Nitrogen Argon lasers are a smart solution.

当今激光器中使用镜子是其最大的弱点之一。这些微型设备需要完美校准和对齐，才能产生您期望的光束。与设备原始校准的任何微小偏差都可能导致设备变得无用。随着激光器的使用不断扩展到大型商业和军事应用，对移动部件较少的激光器有着强烈的需求。氮氩激光器是一种智能解决方案。

Light Weight

轻的

Using lightweight Argon and Nitrogen will help reduce the overall weight of lasers moving forward. Lasers Are already in use on many microscopic devices. However, they are limited in the scale of operation based on the manufacturer's capabilities to shrink down the core components. An Argon-based system would require much less space and weigh less. As such, they could help power next-gen space travel, nanotech, and much more.

使用轻质氩气和氮气将有助于减轻未来激光器的整体重量。激光器已经在许多微型设备上使用。然而，由于制造商缩小核心部件的能力，它们的运营规模受到限制。基于氩的系统将需要更少的空间并且重量更轻。因此，它们可以帮助推动下一代太空旅行、纳米技术等。

Potential use Applications

潜在用途 应用

There are many applications for this new style of laser light. From monitoring and

这种新型激光有许多应用。从监测和