Theoretical modeling of microwave-pumped high-pressure gas lasers

The electron avalanche and laser excitation processes in high-pressure discharges at microwave frequencies are investigated. In our model, the applied electromagnetic field is treated classically and assumed to be monochromatic. The Boltzmann equation for the electron velocity distribution function under the influence of an alternating electric field is numerically solved for a typical XeCl laser gas mixture. All relevant elastic, inelastic and electron-electron collisions are included in solving the Boltzmann equation. The theoretical modeling of microwwave-pumped high-pressure gas lasers are developed based on the first law of thermodynamics in order to determineE_rms/n (root-mean-square field strength/total number density of gas molecules) which is required by the Boltzmann equation to calculate the electron kinetics rates and microwave-power absorption by the plasma. A sample calculation of the microwave-pumped XeCl laser is presented, and a fair agreement between theory and experiment is seen.Paper partially presented at the 10th Int. Conf. on Lasers and Applications, Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA (1987)