Quantitative analysis of resonant third-harmonic generation in strontium

Abstract

Absolute intensity measurements of resonant third-harmonic generation in a Sr-Xe mixture have been performed using a flash-lamp-pumped dye laser. The third-harmonic power increased by about 3 orders of magnitude with respect to the pure Sr system by adjusting a pressure ratio of $\frac{{p}_{\mathrm{Xe}}}{{p}_{\mathrm{Sr}}}=53$. Excellent agreement with theory is obtained provided the absorption cross section ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{3}=3.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}18}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ of Sr at the third-harmonic wavelength of 191.97 nm has been taken into account. The absorption cross section limits the conversion efficiency to 2 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ for an input intensity of 5 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{6}$ W/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. Up to these intensities no saturation effects were observed.