Atomic mercury photodissociation laser in the visible

Stimulated emission on two new pulsed laser lines in atomic mercury is reported. The laser emits at 435.8 and 546.1 nm, corresponding to the transitions 7 ³S₁ → 6 ³P₁ and 7 ³S₁ → 6 ³P₀ of the neutral atomic mercury atom. Population inversion is generated by photodissociation of HgI₂ vapor with a KrF laser at 248 nm. 150mJ of KrF laser radiation were focused into the HgI₂ cell by means of a cylindrical lens in a transverse pumping configuration. With a single end mirror pulses with a peak power of 3 kW and duration of approximately 1 ns were generated. The pumping mechanism is proposed to be a sequential three-photon process.