Effects of buffer gases on an optically pumped CH_3F FIR laser

Abstract

The effects of nine different buffer gases on the performance of a 496 μm optically pumped CH3F laser are studied experimentally. The best result for cw operation is obtained with a 1:1 mixture of CH3F:C6H14, which increases the optimum CH3F pressure by nearly 100% and the output power by 55% over those of the pure CH3F case. Similar results are obtained in pulsed operation with 350 μs pump pulses. With the help of theoretical expressions, we attribute the effectiveness of C6H14 to its large vibrational heat content relative to its molecular weight.