Optically pumped ultraviolet and infrared lasers driven by exploding metal films and wires

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1117/12.934758· OSTI ID:6095916

Jones, C R; Ware, K D

The 342-nm molecular iodine and 1315-nm atomic iodine lasers have been optically pumped by intense light from exploding-metal-film and exploding-wire discharges. Brightness temperatures for the exploding-film discharges were approx. 25,000 K and for the wire discharges were approx. 30,000 K. For the I/sub 2/ laser the 3.5-cm-diameter by 40-cm-long pumped volume lies adjacent to the wire or film of the same length. Pressures of 1 to 6 torr I/sub 2/ and 1 to 3 atm SF, CF/sub 4/, or Ar were used in the stainless-steel cell. Using 20-..mu..F capacitance charged to 40 kV, a 0.25-mm tungsten wire, 3-torr I/sub 2/, and a 2-atm SF/sub 6/, an energy of 2 J was obtained from the laser in a pulse of 8-..mu..s duration. The specific output energy was 7 J/l. Substitution of a cylindrical Al film for the wire, under otherwise similar conditions, led to a X10 output energies and efficiencies were obtained with similar input energy. An output pulse of 12 J and 12-..mu..s duration was measured for a specific output energy of 18 J/l. A laser energy of 110 J in a 20-us-long pulse has been measured from atomic iodine using a wire discharge along the axis of a larger cell. The active volume available was 20 cm in diameter and 80 cm in length. Input energy was 32 kJ. In similar measurements using a cylindrical Al film for discharge initiation, the measured output energy was 40 J.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6095916
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-83-1587; CONF-830425-30; ON: DE83014169
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
640420 -- Fluid Physics-- Properties & Structure of Fluids-- (-1987)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BRIGHTNESS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
EXPLODING WIRES
EXPLOSIONS
FILMS
GAS LASERS
HALOGENS
INFRARED RADIATION
IODINE
LASERS
LIGHT SOURCES
NONMETALS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
OPTICAL PUMPING
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PUMPING
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIATIONS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
WIRES