An investigation into the optical emission from pulsed planar surface discharges and their application for the pumping of dye lasers

This investigation is concerned with the use of pulsed planar surface discharges for the pumping of organic dye doped modified PMMA slabs. A 0.5 /spl Omega/, lumped element pulse forming network was used to drive a surface discharge across a 4 mm thick, pyrromethene 597-doped modified PMMA slab in the presence of a 0.5 bar xenon cover gas. A laser energy of 69 mJ was recorded when 100 J of capacitively stored energy was discharged across the polymer slab. To the authors' knowledge this is the first time laser action has been reported from a surface discharge pumped solid state dye laser.