HgCd discharge studies

Investigations of the production of Hg${\mathrm{Cd}}^{*}$ in an $e$-beam preionized quasistable discharge have theoretically predicted and experimentally demonstrated that fluorescence efficiencies of ∼50% can be achieved. Spectra of the emission for a discharge pumped mixture of Cd-Hg-Ne show the Hg${\mathrm{Cd}}^{*}$ continuum peaking at 470 nm and absolute fluence measurements indicate [Hg${\mathrm{Cd}}^{*}$] ∼ ${10}^{16}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{-3\mathrm{}}$. Measurements of the gain and/or absorption of this mixed metal exciplex show absorption of the Hg${\mathrm{Cd}}^{*}$ excited state across the entire band. The absorption peaked at the blue end of the continuum (457 nm) and decreased to ∼ 1% in 40 cm at the red end of the continuum (517 nm).