Recombination lasers in a flowing negative glow discharge

Author

Wernsman, B. ; Rocca, Jorge J. ; Mancini, Hector L. ; Schinca, Daniel ; Tocho, J.O.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO, USA

Volume

26

Issue

9

fYear

1990

fDate

9/1/1990 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1624

Lastpage

1632

Abstract

A fast gas flow through a negative glow plasma creates an afterglow region where supercooled electrons are separated from energetic beam electronsto produce a population inversion by collisional recombination. A report on spatially resolved electron temperature measurements of the afterglow plasma showing electron temperatures in the range of 750-1100 K under steady-state conditions is presented. A 4-cm-long flowing hollow cathode discharge was used to obtain CW (continuous wave) recombination laser oscillation in ArI. Collisional recombination of singly and doubly ionized metal vapor species in the same type of plasma also produced pulsed laser action in infrared lines of PbI, ZnI, PbII, and SnII. The addition of H₂ is demonstrated to significantly increase the laser output intensity

Keywords

gas lasers; ion lasers; laser variables measurement; lead; population inversion; tin; zinc; 4 cm; 750 to 1100 K; Ar I; CW recombination lasers; Pb; Pb I; Pb II; Sn; Sn II; Zn; Zn I; Zn⁺; afterglow region; collisional recombination; energetic beam electrons; fast gas flow; flowing hollow cathode discharge; flowing negative glow discharge; ionized metal vapor species; negative glow plasma; population inversion; pulsed laser action; spatially resolved electron temperature measurements; steady-state conditions; supercooled electrons; Electron beams; Fluid flow; Gas lasers; Glow discharges; Laser beams; Particle beams; Plasma measurements; Plasma temperature; Plasma waves; Spontaneous emission;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.102642

Filename

102642