Optical pumping of chemical HF lasers on the basis of NF{sub 3}-H{sub 2} and ClF{sub 5}-H{sub 2} mixtures by an open surface discharge in the bleaching-wave mode

Journal Article · Tue Jul 31 00:00:00 EDT 2001 · Quantum Electronics (Woodbury, N.Y.)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1070/QE2001V031N07ABEH002013· OSTI ID:21450429

Artem'ev, Mikhail Yu; Mikheev, L D; Nesterov, V M; Cheremiskin, V I ^[1]; Bashkin, A S ^[2]; Sentis, M L ^[3]

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1. P.N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)
2. Open Joint-Stock Company, V.P. Glushko Energomash Research and Production Assocation, Khimki-1, Moscow region (Russian Federation)
3. Laboratoire Lasers, Plasmas et Procedes Photoniques, FRE 2165 CNRS - Aix-Marseille II University (France)

Lasing on HF upon optical pumping by emission of an open discharge, using NF{sub 3} and ClF{sub 5} as donors of fluorine atoms, was obtained for the first time in a chemical laser and the bleaching-wave mode was realised in a chemical HF laser. An open surface discharge was used as a pump source. The velocity of the bleaching wave, which was formed under its action, reached {approx}8 km s{sup -1}. The formation of this wave leads to a rapid (with an ultrasonic velocity) replacement of the working medium in the lasing region, which provides a quantum laser efficiency close to unity. The optimum compo-sition of the working mixture was found to be NF{sub 3}:H{sub 2}:Kr =6:10:125 Torr. For this composition, the output laser energy in a 3.2-{mu}s pulse reached {approx}0.4 J and the specific output energy was 3.5 J litre{sup -1}. Approximately the same output characteristics of laser emission (0.35 J in a 3.5-{mu}s pulse in the ClF{sub 5}:H{sub 2}:Kr=3:20:50 Torr mixture) were obtained in the system using ClF{sub 5} as donors of fluorine atoms. (lasers, active media)

• OSTI ID: 21450429
• Journal Information: Quantum Electronics (Woodbury, N.Y.), Vol. 31, Issue 7; Other Information: DOI: 10.1070/QE2001v031n07ABEH002013; ISSN 1063-7818
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BLEACHING
CHEMICAL LASERS
CHLORINE FLUORIDES
EFFICIENCY
FLUORINE
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
HYDROGEN
MIXTURES
NITROGEN FLUORIDES
OPTICAL MODES
OPTICAL PUMPING
PULSES
SURFACES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HALOGENS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
LASERS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
OSCILLATION MODES
PUMPING