Performance of metal dehalide dissociation lasers by changed buffer gas

Abstract

A pulsed laser emits laser energy by dissociative excitation of metal dihalide and cyclic recombination. A metal dihalide selected from subgroup II-B of the periodic table of elements is contained within an elongate sealed enclosure. Two elongate electrodes having external terminals are supported in parallel relationship within the enclosure, forming a gap parallel to the principal axis of the enclosure. A source of pulsed electric power is connected to the terminals of the two electrodes, producing repetitive transverse electric discharges across the gap. An inert buffer gas is included within the enclosure for aiding electric discharge uniformity, to provide vibrational relaxation of the lasing medium in its electronic states and to participate in the dissociative excitation process. The buffer gas is one of several mixtures of discrete percentages of neon and nitrogen. The gas/vapor mixture, consisting of the chosen buffer gases and the chosen metal dihalide vapor is ionized by a third electrode within the enclosure connected to a source of pulses which immediately precede the pulses applied to the first and second electrode so that the lasing medium is preionized immediately prior to the principal electric discharge. Two reflective surfaces, one of which is only partially reflective, are aligned with the principal axis of the laser assembly for producing an optical resonator for the emitted laser energy.