Dynamics of the CO/sub 2/ upper laser level as measured with a tunable diode laser

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · IEEE J. Quant. Electron.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/JQE.1983.1071913· OSTI ID:5679621

Dang, C; Garside, B K; Reid, J

A tunable diode laser (TDL) operating in the 2140-2310 cm/sup -1/ wavenumber region is used to probe a conventional CW CO/sub 2/ laser discharge. Detailed vibrational populations in CO/sub 2/ are measured under lasing conditions, i.e., in the presence of an intense 10 ..mu..m field. The TDL is also used to investigate the rate of recovery of the populations in a variety of vibrational levels after the passage of an intense 10 ..mu..m pulse. This paper deals mainly with the behavior of the upper laser level, and the associated ..nu../sub 3/ mode. The authors show that electron deexcitation of the ..nu../sub 3/ mode is very important, and is responsible for the limitation of the ..nu../sub 3/ mode temperature observed previously. In typical gas mixtures, the ratio of the ..nu../sub 3/ mode electron deexcitation rate constant to the electron excitation rate constant is about 3.5:1.

• Research Organization: Depts. of Engineering, Physics and Physics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S4M1
• OSTI ID: 5679621
• Journal Information: IEEE J. Quant. Electron.; (United States), Journal Name: IEEE J. Quant. Electron.; (United States) Vol. 19:4; ISSN IEJQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
DE-EXCITATION
DYNAMICS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
EXCITED STATES
FERMIONS
LASERS
LEPTONS
MECHANICS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PULSES
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
VIBRATIONAL STATES