Miniaturization of pulsed optically pumped CH/sub 3/OH far infrared laser

A miniature optically pumped CH/sub 3/OH FIR laser (CH/sub 3/OH-OH-OPFIRL), which used a pair of metallic meshes as "mirrors" for Fabry-Perot cavity, with variable sample tubes in lengths from 1.0 m to 0.2 m or 0.1 m was constructed. When pumped by a TEA-CO/sub 2/ laser 9P(16) line, FIR laser lines of 570 /spl mu/m, 369 /spl mu/m and 918 /spl mu/m wavelength were obtained, and the latter was a new line. By solving the density matrix equations of a quantum system, the output power intensity of the CH/sub 3/OH-OPFIRL was calculated by means of an iteration method, and the spectral characteristics were obtained. The relation of the output power intensity versus operating parameters of the FIR laser was studied. A series of FIR emissions of the CH/sub 3/OH cavity laser were measured and some peaks were observed by using a scanning F-P interferometer.