Pulsed laser operating on the first vibrational overtone of the CO molecule in the 2.5-4.2-{mu}m range: 1. Multifrequency lasing

• Published in: Quantum electronics (Woodbury, N.Y.) Vol. 30; no. 9
• Main Authors: Basov, N G, Ionin, Andrei A, Kotkov, A A, Seleznev, L V, Kurnosov, A K, Napartovich, A P, Turkin, N G, McCord, J E, Hager, G D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 30.09.2000
• Subjects: ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON MONOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; COHERENT RADIATION; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; DATA; EFFICIENCY; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; EMISSION SPECTRA; ENERGY LEVELS; EVALUATION; EXCITED STATES; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; INFORMATION; LASERS; MOLECULES; NUMERICAL DATA; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PULSES; RADIATIONS; SPECTRA; THEORETICAL DATA; VIBRATIONAL STATES
• ISSN: 1063-7818
• DOI: 10.1070/QE2000V030N09ABEH001809

Characteristics of a pulsed, multifrequency electroionisation CO laser operating on the first vibrational overtone of the CO molecule are studied experimentally and theoretically. It is shown experimentally that a pulsed, multifrequency overtone CO laser is an efficient source of coherent radiation in the 2.5-4.1-{mu}m region whose specific output reaches 50 J l{sup -1} amagat{sup -1} and the electro-optical efficiency amounts to 11 %. A theoretical analysis based on experimental data shows the feasibility of obtaining overtone emission with efficiency as high as {approx}20 %. The alternation of the intensity of vibrational bands in the overtone CO laser is discussed. This effect is caused by the cascade mechanism of formation of the emission spectrum. The comparison of experimental data with calculations showed that they agree well with respect to spectral and energy characteristics of the overtone CO laser. Moreover, it revealed the necessity of refinement of the kinetic model of the active medium of the CO laser for obtaining an adequate description of time parameters of a laser pulse. (lasers)