The emission characteristics of an ultraviolet-visible pulsed multi-ionic xenon laser were studied through time-resolved spectroscopy and the results were interpreted using a collisional radiative theoretical model. This analysis includes more than 20 laser lines belonging to several ionic species (Xe III VIII). Depending on the experimental conditions, different temporal distributions of the laser lines and their corresponding sponta neous emissions can be observed. In particular, laser emission presents temporal oscillations near threshold. Pumping processes for the laser transitions have been analyzed by using this model. Relativistic Hartree Fock calculations of laser level lifetimes and radiative transition probabilities were performed. Experimental laser gain for several transitions were obtained and compared with the theoretical values derived from the calculations.Index Terms Collisional-radiative model, gas discharge, gas lasers, xenon laser.
I. In t r o d u c t i o n S IN C E TH E advent o f the laser, capillary discharges have been used to produce laser action in the ultraviolet (U V), visible, and infrared (IR) range [l]-[ 4 ]. In particular, lowpressure xenon plasm a excited by pulsed h igh-current-highvoltage electrical discharges produces high gain laser transi tions in the near U V and visible range. This laser output has been used for pum ping dye lasers [5] [7] and for studying injection locking phenom ena in CW dye lasers [8 ], [9].B oth from a basic and practical point o f view , it is im portant to know w hich are the levels and ionic species involved in laser em ission. D uchow icz et al. [10] show ed that m ost visible laser em issions belong to Xe V w hile UV em issions belong in general to X e VTI. In recent w orks, m ost o f the unresolved laser lines w ere attributed to X e V [11], X e VII [12], and X e V III [13].