A study of an electron-beam excited atomic xenon laser at high energy loading

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/3.102646· OSTI ID:5882590

Patterson, E L; Samlin, G E; Brannon, P J; Hurst, M J ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)

This paper reports operation of an electron-beam excited atomic xenon laser investigated at pump rates between 40 W/cm{sup 3} and 1 kW/cm{sup 3} with pump times of 1 ms. Effects of cavity loss, gas mixture, and pump rate on laser performance were studied under selected conditions. The variation in laser power in 99.5% argon plus 0.5% xenon selectively lasing at 1.73 or 2.6 {mu}m was investigated as a function of pump power. It was found that the laser pulsewidth was shorter than the pump pulse and it increases as the pump rate decreased, consistent with a temperature induced effect. Lasing with broad-band optics was investigated as the xenon concentration was varied and as helium or neon was combined with argon-xenon mixtures. Strong lasing was observed for xenon concentrations up to 20%. Addition of helium resulted in a slight increase in laser pulsewidth and caused lasing at 2.03 {mu}m to increase at the expense of lasing at 1.73 and 2.6 {mu}m. Neon is as efficient as argon in producing lasing action. However lasing was not observed when no argon was included in the mixture.

• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5882590
• Journal Information: IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (USA), Journal Name: IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (USA) Vol. 26:9; ISSN 0018-9197; ISSN IEJQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426002* -- Engineering-- Lasers & Masers-- (1990-)
640301 -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Beams & their Reactions
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ARGON
BEAM OPTICS
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRICAL PUMPING
ELECTRON BEAM PUMPING
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
FLUIDS
GASES
HELIUM
LASER MATERIALS
LASERS
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
NEON
NONMETALS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PUMPING
RARE GASES
STIMULATED EMISSION
TESTING
XENON