Multikilowatt electron beams for pumping cw ion lasers

Abstract

A glow discharge electron gun capable of producing a well collimated dc electron beam at energies between 1 and 6 keV and currents up to 1 A is described. The electron beam is produced in helium at pressures between 0.1 and 2 Torr without differential pumping. Beam generation efficiencies up to 80% have been measured. The electron guns are designed to pump cw ion lasers and are constructed to provide an optical path through the axis. Continuous-wave laser oscillation in Kr II has been obtained using electron-beam pumping of a He–Kr mixture.