Construction of a Far Infrared Laser System and Evaluation of the HCN Laser.
Abstract
A flexible far infrared lasing system has been constructed to operate in the 10 - 1000 micrometer regime. The system features demountable sections which allow the cavity length to be changed, different electrode structures to be employed, and detailed measurements of the plasma parameters to be made at several locations. This system has been evaluated by operating a glow discharge with methane and nitrogen gases to produce lasing on the 337 micrometer transition of HCN. The characteristics of the laser output power have been measured as functions of gas pressure, gas composition, and discharge current. In addition the density measurements showed that the density profiles were sharper than the zero-order Bessel functions predicted from classical diffusion theory. This is perhaps explained by the radially-dependent chemistry of the discharge. (Modified author abstract)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- AD0778478
Entities
People
- Paul Woskoboinikow
Organizations
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute