Optical Maser Action in C, N, O, S, and Br on Dissociation of Diatomic and Polyatomic Molecules

This paper reports cw optical-maser action in carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and bromine. The maser action is obtained on dissociation of various diatomic and polyatomic gases. The transitions reported here cover a wavelength range from 8400 to 15 000 Å. The optical-maser action on the carbon lines is obtained on dissociation of CO or C${\mathrm{O}}_2$ in a discharge containing CO or C${\mathrm{O}}_2$ with either helium or neon. Maser oscillation in nitrogen was obtained from a discharge containing NO or ${\mathrm{N}}_2$O with helium or neon. In both the cases above, i.e., in the cases of carbon and nitrogen, the discharges also exhibited maser action on an atomic oxygen line. A discharge containing S${\mathrm{F}}_6$ or S${\mathrm{F}}_6$ with helium produced maser action in sulfur. And bromine +argon discharge yielded maser oscillation at four separate wavelengths spaced very closely around 8446 Å, which were resolved with a 1-m Jarrell-Ash spectrometer. These four wavelengths in the ${\mathrm{Br}}_2$+Ar maser may be of special interest in microwave beat experiments because the separations between them are 3.92, 13.90, 3.78, and 21.60 kMc/sec, respectively. A detailed description of possible dissociation and excitation mechanisms which lead to the above masers is given.