Output power characteristics of the neutral xenon long laser

Book · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:55455

Linford, G J ^[1]

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1. TRW Space and Electronics Group, Redondo Beach, CA (United States). Space and Technology Div.

Lasers which oscillate within inhomogeneously broadened gain media exhibit spectral hole burning and concomitant reduction in output power compared with equivalent homogeneously-broadened laser gain media. By increasing the cavity length, it may be possible to demonstrate at least a partial transition from an inhomogeneous laser cavity mode spectrum to a homogeneous spectrum. There are a number of high gain laser lines which are inhomogeneously-broadened transitions in electric discharges of neutral xenon. In neutral xenon lasers, as in the cases of many other gas lasers, the inhomogeneous spectral broadening mechanism arises from Doppler shifts, {Delta}{nu}{sub D}, of individual atoms in thermal motion within the electric discharge comprising the laser gain medium. Optical transitions corresponding to these noble gas atoms have natural linewidths, {Delta}{nu}{sub n}{lt}{Delta}{nu}{sub D}. Simulations of the output power characteristics of the xenon laser were carried out as a function of laser cavity parameters, including the cavity length, L. These calculations showed that when the intracavity mode spacing frequency, c/2L{lt}{Delta}{nu}{sub n}, the inhomogeneously broadened xenon mode spectrum converted to a homogeneously broadened oscillation spectrum with an increase in output power. These simulations are compared with experimental results obtained for the long laser oscillation characteristics of the (5d[5/2]{degree}{sub 2}{r_arrow}6p[3/2]{sub 1}) transition corresponding to the strong, high-gain 3.508 {mu} line in xenon.

• OSTI ID: 55455
• Report Number(s): CONF-940142--; ISBN 0-8194-1410-7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EMISSION SPECTRA
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
GAS LASERS
LASER CAVITIES
LINE BROADENING
PERFORMANCE
POWER
RESONATORS
THEORETICAL DATA