Quenching of backward stimulated Raman scattering by broadband forward Raman radiation

Experiments on backward stimulated Raman scattering of an injection-locked XeF (351.1-nm) laser beam are presented. Because the XeF laser is inhomogeneously broadened, its output is composed of both a narrow-band component (50-60% of the energy) and an unlocked broadband component. It is found that the presence of forward Raman scattering from the broadband unlocked component of the XeF energy terminates the backward Raman scattering of the narrow- (~1-GHz) bandwidth-locked component of the radiation. The results are of a general nature and would apply to scattering from any inhomogeneously broadened injection-locked laser.