Vibration-to-Electronic Energy Transfer for Electronic Transition Lasers
Abstract
A progrm has been developed to use spectroscopic insight and laboratory experiments to identify potentially important new laser candidates. An innovative series of visible and ultraviolet lasers on high temperature diatomic molecules have been discovered. To date both S2 and Te2 have been demonstrated to lase. Because of unique features of the diatomic molecular states, these molecules have potential to make highly efficient laser devices for DoD applications. In particular, S2 has numerous strong lasing transitions in the blue-green region of the spectrum for ONR applications, and many other laser lines in both the ultraviolet and red. The S2 laser lases to high vibrational levels in the ground state. These levels are not populated at the 600 C necessary to form dimers. Thus direct excitation schemes can produce very efficient conversion of energy to laser output. The S2 laser is able to withstand high power densities without degradation. It has all the usual desirable properties of gaseous systems for high average power and repetition rate. In addition the output will be line tunable over broad wavelength ranges. Collisions with rare gases serve to relax excited levels, but not quench the excited S2. Many other laser-suitable molecular species have been identified as well, by noting the desirable spectroscopic features of the S2 molecule. Te2 has already been shown to lase with the same efficacy as S2. Other candidates just within group VI elements include SO, Se2, TeS, TeO, TeSe, and SeS.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1976
- Accession Number
- ADA040544
Entities
People
- Stephen R. Leone
Organizations
- University of Colorado Boulder