Abstract

Many different configurations, both cw and pulsed, have been reported for a 496-μm CH₃F laser optically pumped with a CO₂ laser; however, none as yet has both the high efficiency and good beam quality required for plasma diagnostics applications.^1-4 Simple superradiant geometries using multimode TEA CO₂ lasers have produced peak powers > 1 MW, but in pulses with subnanosecond structure.² Complicated cavity geometries have yielded smooth pulses but only at lower powers, and both methods have a photon conversion efficiency (number of 496-μm quanta/number of CO₂ quanta absorbed) of only ~5%.

© 1976 Optical Society of America