Efficiency of a high pressure CO2laser pumped CH3F Raman laser

An experimental investigation of the conversion efficiency of a high pressure CO
2
laser pumped CH
3
F Raman laser is reported. We show that resonance absorption of the CO
2
laser radiation in the CH
3
F gas can lead to a severe limitation of the efficiency. At CO
2
laser frequencies where the stimulated Raman action is strongest, a quantum efficiency for conversion of CO
2
laser radiation into far infrared radiation of the order of 0.1 is observed.