Spatio-temporal measurement of excited Xe(1<i>s</i>4) atoms in a discharge cell of a plasma display panel by laser spectroscopic microscopy

Abstract

Dynamic behavior of excited Xe atoms in the 1s4 state was measured in a micro-discharge cell of a color plasma display panel by a laser absorption technique combined with an optical microscope. The maximum absorption in a pulsed discharge with a peak current of 160 μA amounted 6% in one pass of the laser beam through the panel of 200-μm gap. This gives the path averaged density of 6.7×1012 cm−3. Measured spatio-temporal characteristics of the excited atoms are discussed in a comparison with a one-dimensional simulation by a fluid model.