Spectroscopy of ion lasers

Abstract

A brief review of the history of laser oscillation in gaseous ions is given, including a tabulation of wavelengths, classifications, and references for the 230 reported ion laser transitions. Selection rules and excitation mechanisms yielding oscillation are discussed.

Microwave-excited ionized argon laser

“…Fig. 3 is the spectral distribution measured over many RF pulses which shows a strong excitation of Ar' lines that have been observed as ion laser lines [8]. One notable observation is that virtually no neutral argon lines are detected in this measurement in marked contrast to the dc spectra obtained under similar conditions.…”

Interferometric Measurements of Time-Dependent Electron Density in the Xenon ``Pinched'' Plasma Laser

“…All the lines cited, including weak ones not mentioned here, have been previously found and are listed in tables of known laser lines. 5 In all cases which we have studied onset of laser action occurred approximately 350 nsec after initiation of the capacitor discharge (period of damped ringing discharge is 1.4 p.sec) and had a duration of between 200 and 400 nsec. This time interval coincided with the pinching of the plasma column.…”

Kinetic processes in noble gas ion lasers - A review

“…A representative wavelength listing of these stronger lines, together with their identified ionic energy states involved in the laser transition, is extracted from the extensive compilation of Bridges and Chester in Ref. 9 and reproduced here in Table 1. For the Ar+ lines, the spontaneous emission life time of the upper state 8 ' 42 and the relative laser line intensity under typical operating conditions 43 are also tabulated.…”

“…46), Eqs. (8)(9)(10)(11), together with the plasma balance equation, the energy balance equation, and the two equations governing the ion temperature and neutral atom temperature, can then be considered as a closed set of eight algebraic equations for the eight unknowns n e (or n^, n a , T ej T i} T a , v e , V, and E. These can readily be solved, at least numerically, for any given set of values for the four externally adjustable discharge parameters p, R, j, and T w (where T w is the discharge tube wall temperature).…”