| In the first half of the thesis, we investigated methods of controlling the group velocity of an optical probe pulse by another optical pulse. We focused on the gain linecenter region of an optical amplifier where group velocity can be very small due to the large dispersion. We made use of an optically pumped barium nitrate (Ba(NO3)2) Raman crystal to delay a probe pulse which is tuned to the Raman gain center, and measured the delay time as a function of pump pulse intensity. Within the intensity region where no significant amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) occurs, we observed pulse delays greater than the input pulse width and obtained predictions based on quasi-steady state Raman gain estimates. We also theoretically studied group velocity control in an optically pumped far-infrared (OPFIR) molecular gas amplifier system, where even larger group velocity reductions are expected due to the extremely narrow low-pressure gain linewidth. By using a 5-level model of a molecular gas, the change of group velocity was calculated as a function of pump beam intensity and gas pressure, and a minimum achievable value of the group velocity was estimated. Furthermore, the effect of static electric field was studied, where the selection rule-dependent level splitting by the DC Stark effect alters the gain lineshape, and hence the group velocity.; In the second half, we experimentally and theoretically studied the emission characteristics from a novel random laser system where scattering power can be controlled by temperature. Our system is a laser dye-dissolved aqueous solution of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) which has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) at ∼41°C. When pumped with optical pulses, this system exhibits drastic spectral narrowing of emission with increasing temperature. A numerical calculation was performed by using a ring laser model developed for non-coherent random laser system, and the results were compared with the experimental linewidth vs. temperature data. This novel system has applications in remote temperature sensing, and also opens up a new way to investigate diffusive photon transport, by adding another degree of freedom that is continuously adjustable by an external parameter. |
