Near Infrared Gas Lasers
Abstract
The near infrared laser emission from Xe in Ar and He mixtures has been investigated experimentally, in a ionizer-sustainer mode, and theoretically. An efficiency of 1.3% has been achieved from Ar:Xe, 150:1, at 1900 torr with approximately 75% of the output occurring on a single line at 1. 73 microns; the efficiency for He:Xe being approximately a factor-of-ten lower with the dominant emission at 2.03 microns and 3.43 microns. Based on a detailed kinetic study of the discharge, the strong laser emission in Ar:Xe is attributed to a two-stage excitation in which a large excited state population is created during the first portion of the discharge followed by excitation and ionization of these excited states with subsequent strong lasing during the remaining, low field, portion. The He:Xe mixtures appear dominated by dissociative recombination pumping. The desired high Ar pressure is explained on the basis of providing an impedance match to the sustainer circuit and because the elastic (momentum) losses, at low fields (E/N) are nominal allowing a small excited state density to dominate the fractional loss spectra.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADB036761
Entities
People
- S. A. Lawton
- T. A. Detemple
Organizations
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign