Tunable distributed-feedback solid-state laser with an enhanced lasing wavelength stability

A monolithic distributed-feedback laser with a dye-activated polymer matrix was constructed. The laser had a fan-shaped holographic grating used for wavelength tuning. When this laser was activated with rhodamine C and excited with the second harmonic of an Nd³⁺:YAG laser emitting pulses of 14 ns duration, it emitted a line of spectral width 0.02 nm, tunable in the range 608 — 632 nm. The temperature sensitivity of the lasing wavelength was less than 7 × 10^–3 nm K^–1.