Fission-fragment excited xenon/rare gas mixtures. I. Laser parameters of the 1.73 μm xenon transition

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Abstract
Laser parameters for the 1.73 μm (5d[3/2]1−6p[5/2]2) xenon transition in fission‐fragment excited Ar/Xe, He/Ar/Xe, Ne/Ar/Xe, and He/Ne/Ar/Xe gas mixtures are presented. Using a cw F center laser, time resolved small signal gain was probed as a function of total pressure, xenon concentration, pump power, He/Ne/Ar buffer ratio and impurity concentration. Small signal gains of up to 2%/cm were observed for pump rates of 30 W/cm3. Addition of helium and/or neon to the argon buffer increased the width of the time resolved laser gain pulse and reduced the absorption observed under some experimental conditions. Experimentally determined gain scaling laws for several gas mixtures are presented. The measured small signal gain was coupled with the results of laser cavity measurements to calculate the saturation intensity for several gas mixtures. The addition of helium or neon increases the saturation intensity for several gas mixtures. Laser cavity measurements as well as the gain × saturation intensity product indicate that the 1.73 μm power efficiency is approximately 2% for several gas mixtures.