强化学激光器的研究与发展

化学激光器是以释能化学反应提供能源, 并且以化学反应产生粒子数反转为基础的。由于化学储能的巨大, 这类器件目前输出的连续波功率已达兆瓦级, 大大高于所有其他激光器;近年来, 由于流动介质均匀性的改善和采用选摸能呼高的光腔, 光束质量亦已达到近衍射极限。近年来的研究集中在发展短波长化学激光体系, 从较早的DF(～3.8 μm), HF(2.7 μm)到近期的O2-J体系(1.315 μm), 以及HF的泛频跃迁激光(～1.35 μm)。更进一步则希望发展可见光波段的化学激光器。这有可能通过电子激发志的受激辐射实现, 但是看来尚需较长时间的努力。

Advances in High Power Chemical Lasers

Chemical laser is characteristically energized by an exoergic chemical reaction which produces the nece ssary population inversion of lasing species. Based on the enormous chemical energy deposit, several kinds of chemical laser now deliver the cw power outputs of megawatt magnitude, far higher than any other lasers. Accordingiy, along with theimprovem ent of gas medium homogeneity and mode-electivity of the optical cavity, chemical laser has also attained high bearu quality of a near diffraction limited divergence angle. Recent efforts in developing new chemical laser have focused on the short wavelength chemical laser system, e.g. from theearly DF (l=3.8 μm) and HF(λ=2.7 μm) to lateO2(1Δ)-I (λ=1.315 μm) and HF overtone transition laser (～1.35 μm). At present the community of chemical physics are much interested in the visible chemical laser which may be realized by stimulated emission of an electronic excited state.