Discharge pumped F2 laser at 1580 Å

VUV Laser Spectroscopy of Trivalent Rare-Earth Ions in Wide Band Gap Fluoride Crystals

“…Among them the ArF excimer laser with limited tunability at 193 nm [40,41], and the molecular fluorine laser at 157 nm [42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50], are the only efficient laser sources available on the laboratory scale. Laser transitions at 156.71, 157.48, and 157.59 nm have been observed for the first time by Woodworm and Rice [42,43] in F 2 /He mixtures excited with an electron gun with high efficiency and in electric discharge-pumped lasers.…”

“…The kinetic scheme proposed [44] to explain the above transition in the plasma discharge assumes the production of metastable helium atoms He* and e"/He + pairs. The He + ions at high pressure are forming He 2 + and He 3 + ionized molecular clusters in the ground or excited states, which, finally, through effective collisions, either ionize the fluorine molecules or form atomic species:…”

VUV Laser Spectroscopy of Trivalent Rare-Earth Ions in Wide Band Gap Fluoride Crystals

“…At the present time, very few laser sources are available in the VUV (Table 1). Among them the ArF excimer laser with limited tunability at 193 nm [40,41], and the molecular fluorine laser at 157 nm [42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50], are the only efficient laser sources available on the laboratory scale. Laser transitions at 156.71, 157.48, and 157.59 nm have been observed for the first time by Woodworm and Rice [42,43] in F 2 /He mixtures excited with an electron gun with high efficiency and in electric discharge-pumped lasers.…”

“…The kinetic scheme proposed [44] to explain the above transition in the plasma discharge assumes the production of metastable helium atoms He* and e"/He + pairs. The He + ions at high pressure are forming He 2 + and He 3 + ionized molecular clusters in the ground or excited states, which, finally, through effective collisions, either ionize the fluorine molecules or form atomic species: The final result of the atomic and molecular collisions is the formation of the F 2 molecules in their excited 3 Π 2 " electronic state:…”

XeF pump laser. Final technical report

“…There were two major issues which might have limited the utility of this laser system. These were: (1) the feasibility of achieving sufficient damping of the acoustic disturbances between consecutive pulses consistent with the requirements of low pressure drop in the flow loop, and (2] the attainment of laser efficiency and output energy of suffi cient magnitude under flowing conditions. Answers to these questions were required for evaluation of the potential of the XeF laser system.…”