Patent ID: 7684112

Claim:
A method of generating backward stimulated Rayleigh-Bragg scattering, said method comprising: providing a source of activating radiation, wherein the activating radiation has a wavelength of λ 0 and an intensity level of I L ; providing a scattering cell containing a multi-photon active medium, wherein the medium has a nonlinear refractive index coefficient of n 2 , a residual linear attenuation coefficient of α(λ 0 ) at wavelength λ 0 , and a gain length greater than or equal to α(λ 0 )/(2πn 2 /λ 0 ) 2 I L 2 ; exhibits no linear/one-photon absorption but possesses multi-photon absorption at wavelength λ 0 ; and is designed to produce output radiation with backward stimulated Rayleigh-Bragg scattering from the activating radiation; providing a first focusing lens positioned to focus the activating radiation into the scattering cell under conditions effective to permit multi-photon absorption within the scattering cell; and directing activating radiation through said first focusing lens into said scattering cell containing scattering medium, thereby producing output radiation with backward stimulated Rayleigh-Bragg scattering.