Gain and continuous-wave laser power enhancement with a multiple discharge electric oxygen-iodine laser

Abstract

Herein the authors report on the demonstration of a 70% enhancement in gain and 98% enhancement in continuous-wave laser power on the 1315nm transition of atomic iodine via an increase in flow rates and pressure using multiple discharges in an electric oxygen-iodine laser. O2(aΔ1) is produced by two parallel radio-frequency-excited electric discharges sustained in an O2–He–NO gas mixture, a secondary discharge predissociated the molecular iodine, and I(P1∕22) is then pumped using energy transferred from O2(aΔ1). A gain of 0.17%cm−1 was obtained and the total laser output power was 12.3W.