Efficient low-band operation of a CO chemical laser

Abstract
A cw O/CS2 CO chemical laser has been operated at a chemical efficiency of 37.5%. This result was achieved by the use of N2O as a diluent whose V‐V transfer effects on the chemically formed CO are such as to strongly enhance emission in the low vibrational bands. The free‐running oscillator spectra start at v = 12 → 11 and continue to v = 2 → 1, with more than 50% of the output in the low bands 6 → 5 to 2 → 1. These results again emphasize the importance of vibrational energy transfer in chemical laser media.