Efficient gas lasers pumped by run-away electron preionized diffuse discharge

Abstract

It was shown that run-away electron preionized volume (diffuse) discharge (REP DD) can be used as an excitation source of active gas mixtures at elevated pressures and can produce laser emission.We report experimental and calculated results of application of the REP DD for excitation of different active gas mixtures. It was shown that the REP DD allows to obtain efficient lasing stimulated radiation in the IR, visible and UV spectral ranges.Kinetic model of the REP DD in mixtures of nitrogen with SF 6 is developed allowing to predict the radiation parameters of nitrogen laser at 337.1 nm.Promising prospects of REP DD employment for exciting a series of gas lasers was demonstrated. Lasing was obtained on molecules N 2 , HF, and DF with the efficiency close to the limiting value. It was established that the REP DD is most efficient for pumping lasers with the mixtures comprising electro-negative gases.

Supershort avalanche electron beam inSF6and krypton

“…Note that the amplitude of the SAEB current in air was about 13 times higher than that in SF 6 when the pressure was 0.01 atm, whereas the amplitude of the SAEB current in air was approximately 25 times higher than that in SF 6 when the pressure increased to 1 atm. This was mainly because the electron energy in excitation and ionization in SF 6 was much higher than that in air and nitrogen [29][30][31].…”

“…Therefore, it is necessary to carry out new experimental investigations for further research and compare the experimental results in order to eliminate misunderstandings. Note that the research on discharges in SF 6 has not only scientific importance, but also great practical importance, because SF 6 is widely used as insulating gas in high-voltage devices and a component of chemical gas lasers [29][30][31].…”