This article is cited in 10 papers

Lasers

Planar Xe laser with cw radio-frequency pumping

A. P. Mineev, A. P. Drozdov, S. M. Nefedov, P. P. Pashinin, P. A. Goncharov, V. V. Kiselev

Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

Abstract: The characteristics of the radiation of a planar Xe laser excited by transverse RF discharge at a frequency of 40.68 MHz with diffusive cooling of the active medium and a nonselective optical cavity have been investigated. The spectral and power characteristics of the Xe laser have been experimentally studied as functions of the interelectrode-gap width (1.4 — 2.5 mm), composition and pressure (30 — 100 Torr) of working gas mixture, input power density (0.4 — 34 W cm^-3), and the electrode temperature. The output laser power was found to decrease at an interelectrode gap above 1.6 mm. The threshold pump power was 12 W (power density 0.4 W cm^-3). Addition of butane to the working mixture increases the output power by approximately 50 % at interelectrode gaps of 2.0 — 2.5 mm. A cw lasing power of 4 W and a maximum efficiency of ~0.7 % are obtained. Good prospects of the Xe laser operating at wavelengths of 2.03, 2.65, and 3.51 μm are shown.

Keywords: planar waveguide Xe laser, RF discharge, spectral characteristics, diffusive cooling, molecular ions.

PACS: 42.55.Lt, 42.60.Da, 42.60.Lh

Received: 29.02.2012

 English version: Quantum Electronics, 2012, 42:7, 575–579

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