Abstract

Several tunable rare-gas halide lasers utilizing either the C → A transition of diatomic XeF* centered at 480 nm or triatomic excimers, such as Xe₂CI, which emit in the 520-nm region have been reported recently.¹ The output power and wave- length tunability of these lasers are severely limited by pump-induced transient absorption effects and by electron mixing of the closely spaced (~0.075-eV) B and C states of XeF. Experiments have been reported that demonstrate that these effects can be eliminated in the XeF(C → A) laser when XeF₂ is excited photolytically to form XeF and nitrogen is used instead of argon as the buffer gas.² However, for an electron beam pumped XeF(C → A) laser, nitrogen has no such beneficial effect.³ Instead electron cooling due to N₂ vibrational excitation leads to a reduction in F^- negative ion production, which in turn decreases the XeF* formation and laser output power.

© 1983 Optical Society of America