Vacuum ultraviolet argon excimer laser pumped by high-intensity laser-produced electrons

In this paper, we proposed a new method to demonstrate a practical Ar/sub 2/ laser by use of an ultrashort-pulse high-intensity laser. Characteristics of the initial electrons produced by an optical-field-induced ionization (OFI) process were controlled by appropriate choice of the high-intensity laser parameters. These controlled electrons then initiated the Ar/sub 2/ production kinetics. To increase a gain-length product, an Ar-filled hollow fiber was used to extend the excitation plasma length up to 30 cm, where the high-intensity laser and 126-nm VUV radiation were propagated.