Compact pulsed HF lasers

Abstract

A compact electrically pulsed HF laser is being described. The laser operates on a mixture of SF6 and H2 with 0.06 J energy, 25 kV pulses with a repetition of 100 pulses/sec. The output consists of the P(1)-P(7) rotational lines of the 1-0 vibrational transition and the P(2)-P(9) lines of the 2-1 transition. Line selection is provided by using a plane 300 line/mm grating as one reflector; the other reflector is an Irtran 4 flat used as a semitransparent mirror. Average power in all lines is 20 mW. Peak pulse power in individual lines is 15-20 W. Average and pulse power show good stability. The laser provides a convenient and compact source of ir radiation in the 2.5-3.0 μ region. © 1971 The American Institute of Physics.