Experimental and theoretical investigation of a coaxial pumped photolytic atomic bromine laser

Author

Rafferty, Brent D. ; Anderson, Brian T. ; Glassman, Jack ; Miller, Harold C. ; Lampson, Alan I. ; Hager, Gordon D.

Author_Institution

Phillips Lab., Kirtland AFB, NM, USA

Volume

33

Issue

5

fYear

1997

fDate

5/1/1997 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

685

Lastpage

704

Abstract

This paper describes the results from a combined experimental theoretical investigation of a coaxial pumped photolytic bromine laser. A 532-nm pump was used to photodissociate IBr and produce Br*(²P_1/2) with subsequent lasing on the (²P_1/2)→(²P_3/2) transition. Experimental results are presented for output energy, mode buildup time and small-signal gain as a function of pump energy and mirror outcoupling fraction. A simplified rate equation model was developed to predict the laser performance parameters and shows good agreement with the laser output energy and small-signal gain

Keywords

bromine; chemical lasers; ground states; laser beams; laser cavity resonators; laser mirrors; laser transitions; optical couplers; spin-orbit interactions; 532 nm; ²P_1/2 state; ²P_1/2-²P_3/2 transitions; Br; Br laser; Br*; IBr; coaxial pumped photolytic laser; laser output energy; laser performance parameters; mirror outcoupling fraction; mode buildup time; output energy; pump energy; rate equation model; small-signal gain; Coaxial components; Equations; Laser excitation; Laser modes; Laser theory; Laser transitions; Mirrors; Performance gain; Predictive models; Pump lasers;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.572142

Filename

572142