A radiatively pumped CW CO2laser

A proof of principle experiment to demonstrate the physics of a radiatively pumped laser has been carried out. For the first time, a blackbody cavity has optically pumped a CW CO
2
laser. Results are presented from a series of experiments using mixtures of CO
2
, He, and Ar in which maximum output power was obtained with a 20 percent CO
2
- 15 percent He-65 percent AR mixture. The dependence of the output power on the blackbody temperature and the cooling gas flow rate is also discussed. By appropriately varying these parameters, continuous output powers of 8-10 mW have been achieved.