Sustained discharge excitation of HgCl and HgBr <i>B</i>2Σ+1/2→<i>X</i>2Σ+1/2 lasers

Abstract

This letter reports e-beam-sustained discharge excitation of HgCl and HgBr lasers operating on the green and blue-green B2Σ+1/2→X2Σ+1/2 bands in 2-atm mixtures of Ar/Hg/Cl2 and Ar/Hg/BrCCl3. The excitation channel appears to be through the reaction of Hg(3P) metastable atoms with the halogen-containing species.