Characteristics of the high-pressure Ar-Xe laser pumped by an electron beam and an electron-beam sustained discharge

Mechanisms of the line competition observed among the 1.73-, 2.03-, and 2.65- mu m lines are interpreted based on the gain and saturation data along with some known kinetics. The energy distribution among the lines is also investigated as a function of various operating parameters. An enhancement factor of approximately 10 was readily obtained for both electrical input energy and laser output energy in the e-beam sustained discharged. However, there is a tradeoff between enhancement factors and laser output energy due to a degradation of the laser output observed for discharge power enhancements greater than 5. The maximum output energy obtained was 4 J/l, with an intrinsic efficiency of approximately 3%.<
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