Title :
New direct optical pump schemes for multiatmosphere CO/sub 2/ and N/sub 2/O lasers
Author :
Stenersen, Knut ; Wang, Gunnar
Author_Institution :
Norwegian Defence Res. Establ., Kjeller, Norway
Abstract :
Nine schemes for direct optical pumping of multiatmosphere CO/sub 2/ and N/sub 2/O lasers at pump wavelengths in the 1.4-3.6- mu m region are discussed. Most of these wavelengths can be generated by solid-state lasers, which are more attractive pump sources than the chemical lasers (HBr, HF) used previously to pump high-pressure CO/sub 2/ and N/sub 2/O lasers. Including previously studied pump schemes, there are altogether 14 possible pump transitions in CO/sub 2/ and N/sub 2/O in the 1.4-4.5- mu m region. Numerical laser simulations are carried out to compare all of these pump schemes. Assuming 10 J/cm/sup 2/ pump energy in a pulse of 100 ns FWHM, and 5% output coupling as the only resonator loss, the calculated energy conversion efficiencies are in the range of 6-40%. The pump thresholds are in the range of 0.1-3.1 J/cm/sup 2/.<>
Keywords :
carbon compounds; gas lasers; laser transitions; nitrogen compounds; optical pumping; 1.4 to 3.6 micron; 1.4 to 4.5 micron; CO/sub 2/; HBr; HF; N/sub 2/O lasers; energy conversion efficiencies; multiatmosphere lasers; optical pump; solid-state lasers; Chemical lasers; Energy conversion; Hafnium; Laser excitation; Laser transitions; Numerical simulation; Optical pumping; Optical resonators; Pump lasers; Solid lasers;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
