Time-resolved spectroscopic study of high-pressure self-sustained discharge-pumped atomic xenon lasers

To explore the lasing kinetics of UV-preionized, self-sustained discharge-pumped atomic xenon (5d→6p) lasers, the time-resolved spectroscopy of the laser output from the multiline laser resonator is reported. The dilutents used were Ar and He. Increasing Xe concentration shortened the 1.73-μm laser pulse duration and decreased the total (multiline) laser output energy, because increased Xe metastable state population contributes to the increase of the 6p state population (lower laser level) by electron-impact excitation and radiation trapping during discharge pumping. High-excitation-rate pumping resulted in the decrease of the laser output power of 1.73- and 2.63-μm lines. Increasing the total gas pressure leads to high-efficiency operation due to modest-excitation-rate pumping at high pressures