10-W methyl fluoride laser at 496 µm

A CO 2 TEA Laser (output ∼ 1 MW) has been used to pump methyl fluoride gas to produce 10 W of far-infrared peak power at 496 μm. Since the oscillating bandwidth of the TEA laser is broader than the absorbing transition in methyl fluoride, only part of the available TEA laser power is effective in pumping.