Optical pumping of the XeF(C→A) and iodine 1.315-μm lasers by a compact surface discharge system

Details are provided regarding the design, construction, and performance of a compact ('0.6-m 2 footprint), single-channel surface discharge system and its application to optically pumping the XeF(C !A) and iodine atomic lasers in the blue-green ('480 nm) and near infrared (1.315 mm), respectively. The system has a gain (active) length of '50 cm, and triggering the discharge requires no high-voltage or high-current switches. Measurements of the velocity of the photodisso- ciation bleaching wave and the small-signal gain of the XeF(C!A) sys- tem are described. At 488 nm, the gain coefficientg was found to be '0.3% cm 21 , a value comparable to those reported previously for sys- tems dissipating considerably higher power per unit length. Single-pulse energies .50 mJ from the XeF(C!A) laser ('485 nm) and .0.7 J on the 5p 2 P1/2!5p 2 P3/2 transition of atomic iodine at 1.315 mm have been obtained with nonoptimized resonator output couplings (5% and 10%, respectively). The rate of erosion of the dielectric surface has been mea- sured to be '0.1 to 0.3 mm/shot for a glass ceramic dielectric, and the performance of two electrical configurations for the ballasting pins (feedthrough and V) is compared. © 2003 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumenta-

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