Picosecond double-beam absorption spectrometer

TLDR: In this article, a two-stage amplifier was used to amplify a single laser pulse emitted from a YAG:Nd mode-locked laser, converted to a parametric oscillator, and used to excite molecules.

Abstract: Apparatus was constructed for investigating fast photophysical and photochemical processes resulting from selective excitation of vibronic molecular states. A single laser pulse emitted from a YAG:Nd mode-locked laser was amplified in a two-stage amplifier, frequency converted in a parametric oscillator, and used to excite molecules. A pulse of the continuum was used as the test pulse. A time resolution of ±3 psec and a precision of ±3×10−3 optical density units were attained in the absorption measurements carried out in a study of primary processes of conversion of the energy of light in photosynthetic reaction centers.