Electron-Beam Excitation of the Nitrogen Laser

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Abstract
Stimulated emission near 3371 Å is reported for the first time using a commercial electron‐beam generator as an energy source. A 2 × 103‐A/cm2 3‐nsec pulse of 400‐keV electrons from a field‐emission diode traveled 160 cm down a ¾‐in. tube containing N2 at pressures of 10–50 Torr. A longitudinal magnetic field of 2–10 kG helped confine the electrons in the tube. The 400‐keV electrons produce secondary and subsequent cascade electrons with energies from 0–200 keV. Those electrons with 13–17 eV excite nitrogen molecules to the upper lasing (C3Πu) state. Sufficient concentration of excited nitrogen molecules is produced for the gas to show superradiance with 60 kW of light output power.