Chemical pumping of the far infrared HCN laser

This paper reports the observation of 337 μm and 311 μm stimulated emission from HCN in which the (11¹0)?(04⁰0) inversion has been established by photopumping of HCN and by chemical pumping with reactions between CN and H₂ or saturated hydrogen-rich organic compounds. Similarities in output pulse behavior between the discharge and chemical versions of the HCN laser are suggestive that the pumping mechanism in the discharge is the chemical reaction, CN + H₂ → HCN² + H. The well-known inefficiency of this laser is then due to the fact that the reaction is a slow one and its exothermicity does not match the energy of the upper lasing level, but depends for inversion on (randomizing) relaxation into (11¹0) among others. Substantial improvements in the power of the HCN laser cannot be made from this route.