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Operation of a pulsed HF chemical laser initiated by electric discharge is reported. Uniform transverse capacitive discharge through high-pressure mixtures of SF6 and H2 is effected by the use of a double discharge. For the mixture SF6, H2, He (250, 20, and 280 Torr, respectively) laser output of more than 1 J per pulse with 4% electrical efficiency from an active volume of 0.06 1 has been achieved. Pulse shapes of the different transitions, spectrum measurements, and SF6 decomposition rate are reported.

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Measurements of the small-signal gain of the laser medium produced by a DF combustion-driven continuous wave chemical laser are presented. A low power hydrogen (deuterium) fluoride mixing laser has been developed as probe laser which produces cw radiation on a single line and single TEMooq mode. By applying a saw-tooth voltage to the P.Z.T. crystal modulating the laser cavity length we measured the gain at the center line. The small-signal gain profile along the gas flow direction was observed for two combustion driven chemical laser nozzles and with two different reactant systems (F2/C2H4/He and F2/H2/He). The nozzles consisted of a slit array with base relief between deuterium nozzles and an axisymmetric matrix hole nozzle block. Peak gain values of 7 percent/cm and 4 percent/cm were measured on the P2 (6) and P3 (7) lines, respectively with the axisymmetric nozzle block and F2/C2H4/He as reactant system