High power, high efficiency optically pumped NH3lasers

✍ Scribed by J. D. White; A. Chakrabarti; J. Reid

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 343 KB
• Volume: 51
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0721-7269
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00348975

✦ Synopsis

A simple and efficient NH 3 laser was tuned over more than 70 vibrational band transitions between 10.08 and 14.14 btm. The active medium was a dilute mixture of ammonia in argon and was optically pumped by the 9R(30) transition of a pulsed TEA-CO2 laser. Output energies greater than 1 J per pulse were observed on several of the strongest lines. In a nonselective cavity an energy conversion efficiency of greater than 35% was obtained with a maximum output energy of 4.6 J. Optically pumped NH3 is shown to be a flexible and efficient system for the downconversion of CO2 radiation.