Gas-discharge XeF* (B→X) laser with high specific output energy

The discharge characteristics of the XeF* (BX) laser are investigated. The NF₃ and Xe partial pressure of the laser gas mixture and the total gas pressure have been varied. A highest specific output energy of 4.7 J/l with an efficiency of 0.5% was obtained from a X-ray preionized Ne/Xe/NF₃ gas mixture at 6 bar with single-pulse excitation through a multichannel spark gap.     

A new blue-green XeF (C→A) excimer laser amplifier concept

The feasibility of using the electrically excited XeF(C»A) excimer medium as an efficient wideband amplifier in the blue-green region of the spectrum has been investigated. Calculations show that for an intense blue-green optical flux input the amplification characteristics of XeF(C»A) improve, as a result of both bleaching of the pump induced absorbers and by additional production of XeF(C) level population. The removal of one of the major absorbing species, Xe^** in the XeF (C»A) laser mixture by means of a pulsed ruby laser probe beam has been demonstrated.     

Temporal extension of stable glow discharges in fluorine-based excimer laser gas mixtures by the addition of xenon

The effect of addition of xenon on the long term homogeneity of discharges in F₂and ArF excimer laser gas mixtures was investigated in a small-volume discharge chamber. The gas mixture in the discharge chamber was preionized by X-rays. A special electrical excitation circuit containing a pulse forming line provided a long, square-shaped current pumping pulse of a predetermined duration to the discharge electrodes. The initiation and the development of the discharge was monitored via its fluorescence signal with an intensified CCD camera. We found that adding Xe up to partial pressures of 0.53 mbar extended the homogeneous phase of the discharge from 80 ns to approximately 200 ns in He/F₂as well as in He/Ar/F₂and Ne/Ar/F₂excimer laser gas mixtures. Monitoring of the ArF and XeF spontaneous emission signals showed that the formation of ArF excimers remained unaffected by the addition of xenon (up to 1.3 mbar) to the laser gas mixture.     

Optimisation of the pulse duration of a discharge-pumped XeF(B→X) excimer laser

In an x-ray preionised XeF(BX) discharge-excited laser driven by a magnetic-spiker sustainer circuit with a magnetic pulse compressor the influence of the various parameters on the optical pulse duration was experimentally investigated. Laser pulses at = 351 nm with a duration of 212 ns (FWHM) have been achieved in a NF₃/Xe/Ne mixture by using very low (0.25 mbar) NF₃ partial pressures in a total gas pressure of 2.5 bar and with a high-reflecting output coupling mirror.     

Discharge instability induced by external laser preionization of a XeF discharge laser

External-laser-induced preionization of excimer lasers was investigated. A discharge XeF laser was preionized by two different UV lasers [a KrF laser (λ=249 nm) and an ArF laser (λ=193 nm)], and the improvements in performance of the XeF laser were compared. The XeF laser beam profiles were measured by an intensified CCD (ICCD) camera with temporal resolution of 10 ns. Striated XeF laser profiles were obtained with 249 nm laser preionization, whereas there was no striation in the profiles for 193 nm laser preionization. These striations originated from discharge in the XeF laser induced by laser preionization. The influence of excited rare-gas atoms on the discharge instability was examined.     

Experimental investigations of the formation of XeF*(B 2II1/2) excimer molecules during the injection of SF6 into a xenon plasma flow

The luminescence of XeF*(B ²II_1/2) molecules from a zone formed in the injection of SF₆ gas into a freely flowing xenon plasma jet is investigated. The experiments show that both the energy characteristics of the luminescence and the geometrical dimensions of the plasmachemical reaction zone can be controlled by varying the power input to the plasmatron and the mass flow rates of SF₆ and the xenon plasma. It is shown that the main contribution to the production of XeF*(B ²II_1/2) excimer molecules under the given experimental conditions is from two-particle ion-ion reactions involving Xe ions and SF ₆ ⁻ and SF ₅ ⁻ molecular ions. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 36–42 (February 1998)     

Preionization kinetics of an X-ray preionized XeCl gas discharge laser

The influence of preionization conditions on the performance of a XeCl gas discharge laser preionized by a short, high intensity x-ray pulse, has been studied. The laser output energy and optical pulse temporal characteristics have been used to determine the roles of initial electron density and of electron attachment to HCl and to impurities. Although the short pulse preionization technique functions well for XeCl when the laser voltage pulse has a short risetime (?20 ns), it is less well suited to XeCl lasers using slowly rising voltage pulses (>50 ns), or to F₂ containing gas mixtures (KrF and XeF lasers).     

放电泵浦的多波长激光器

采用高气压紫外预电离放电装置和更换激射气体的方法,在一台器件上获得10个体系:F原子,Ne原子,N₂分子,N₂⁺离子,XeF,XCl,XeBr,KrF,KrCl,ArF相干辐射,并给出了激光器件的有关参数和输出特性等。 关键词：     

Laser isotope separation of carbon by multiple IR photon and subsequent UV excitation of CF3I molecules

A new approach to laser isotope separation is considered. It is based on collisionless multiple photon ir laser excitation and subsequent uv laser dissociation of vibrationally excited molecules. TEA CO₂ and excimer XeF, XeCl lasers are used for ir excitation and uv dissociation, respectively. The products of photolysis (C₂F₆) are enriched with¹²C.     

Wideband tuning of the blue-green XeF (C→A) laser

Efficient wavelength tuning from 446 to 524 nm with a minimum spectral linewidth of 1 nm was demonstrated for an electron beam pumped XeF(CA) laser. Energy densities of 0.1 J/l were obtained for an optimized Ar/Kr/Xe/F₂/NF₃ mixture.     

Analysis of a spark-preionized large-volume XeF and KrF discharge laser

A uv-preionized discharge-excited XeF and KrF laser has been operated with various fluorine donors. Results of a parametric study of laser performance as a function of gas composition, total pressure, electrode voltage, and energy loading are presented. The effects of easily ionizable seed gases were also studied. Results include demonstration of highest energy per pulse (0.18 J for XeF and 0.30 J for KrF) and longest lasing pulse (70 ns) reported for any similar device. Ion recombination reactions are suggested as the major processes for XeF¹ and KrF¹ excimer formation.     

Single-shot laser-induced fluorescence imaging of formaldehyde with XeF excimer excitation

Single-shot formaldehyde laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) imaging measurements in a technical scale turbulent flame have been obtained using XeF excimer laser excitation in the ?¹A₂-˜X¹A₁ transition at 353.2 nm. Measurements have been carried out in a 150 kW natural gas swirl burner where formaldehyde distribution fields have the potential, in combination with OH concentration fields, to visualize the heat release distribution and therefore give an optimal visualization of flame-front positions. The extended areas where formaldehyde was detected in the swirl flame indicates the presence of low temperature chemistry in preheated gas pockets before ignition. Received: 31 January 2000 / Revised version: 2 March 2000 / Published online: 5 April 2000     

Threshold and saturation properties of a solid-state XeF (C-A) excimer laser

A dielectric laser cavity of 1 cm length has been optimized for high gain (7 cm^–1) operation which is achieved in XeF doped Ar crystals. Mode structures on the C-A spectral distribution around 540 nm and far field transverse mode patterns are reported. Photchemical gain burning is observed in the spectral mode structures. The dependence of the laser threshold on pump energy, pumped length and on cavity losses is studied. XeF densities of 7×10¹⁷ cm^–3 and distributed losses of 1.2 cm^–1 are derived. The measured quantum efficiency of 14% and the saturation behaviour are consistently described. Losses by transient aborption and two photon absorption are discussed.     

First observation of a resonance ionization signal on242mAm fission isomers

The feasibility of a hyperfine spectroscopy on^242mAm fission isomers has been demonstrated at the low target production rate of 10/s. The experimental method employed is based on resonance ionization spectroscopy in a buffer gas cell with detection of the ionization process by means of the fission decay of the isomers. The resonance ionization has been performed in two steps, utilizing an excimer dye laser combination with a repetition rate of 300 Hz. The first resonant step proceeds through theJ=7/2 term at 21440.35 cm⁻¹, which has been excited with the tuncable dye laser beam of a wavelength of 466.28 nm, the second non-resonant step is achieved with the 351 nm radiation of the excimer laser itself, running with XeF. The frequency scan of the tuneable dye laser exhibits a broad resonance ionization signal, the width of which is most likely explained by the magnetic hyperfine interaction.     

Lasing of optically pumped XeF and analysis of the spectrum of the laser transitionB^2 \sum _{{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}}^ + - X^2 \sum _{{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}}^ +

The operating principle of a photodissociation XeF laser (λ?350 nm) is discussed. A laser operating on the gas mixture XeF₂:N₂(SF₆):Ar pumped by radiation from an open high-current discharge is described. The maximum lasing duration is 5 μsec, the maximum output energy is 0.15 J. The vibrational structure of the XeF-molecule transition B²Σ_1/2 ⁺ ? X²Σ_1/2 ⁺, observed in absorption, luminescence, and stimulated emission, is investlgated. The vibrational quantum and the anharmonicity in the upper and lower states are measured: ω_e ^' = 308.7 cm^-1, ω_e ^'x_e ^' = 1.44 cm^-1, ω_e ^'' = 225.7 cm^-1, ω_e ^''x_e ^'' = 11.0 cm^-1. The difference between the equilibrium internuclear distances of the XeF molecule is determined for the excited (B) and ground (X) states, namely r_e ^' - r_e ^'' = 0.33 +- 0.01 Å.     

Laser investigations at 269 nm for XeF(D-X) in Ne crystals

From line narrowing in amplified spontaneous emission at the D-X transition (269nm) of XeF in solid Ne a gain coefficient of 3.4 cm^–1 has been derived and ground-state losses of 2.8 cm^–1 have been determined by variation of the absorption length. A dielectric laser cavity has been optimized with the reflectivities R₁=100% and R₂=70% for 1 cm long crystals; laser action has been achieved.     

Influence of multi-photon ionization of Xe on a XeF discharge induced by KrF laser irradiation

Excimer laser preionization induced by an external laser was investigated for XeF excimer laser discharge induced by a KrF laser, paying attention to the ionized species in the gas. Enhancement of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) was observed for XeF gas discharge preionized by a KrF laser with and without its irradiation. In contrast, no ASE enhancement was observed for KrF gas discharge with KrF laser preionization. ASE enhancement was larger for the longer wavelength, which was close to the two-photon resonance of the Xe atom, when tunable KrF laser irradiation was used. These results indicate that multi-photon ionization of Xe atoms supplied the initial electrons to the laser-induced preionization.     

Investigation of Gas Degradation in CO2 ? N2 Pulse Discharges I. Long Term Behaviour of Pulsed Laser Discharges in CO2 — N2 Gas Mixtures

The correlation between the plasma resistance and the laser output parameters has been investigated in pulsed CO₂ — N₂ discharges. The strong increase of the discharge resistance during gas degradation can be explained on the basis of strong attaching gas components. In degraded mixtures a supression of discharge instabilities together with the restoration of the laser pulse energy is possible by increasing the reduced electric field E/N temporarily.