Dynamics of the Nuclear and Electrically Pumped 1.45-μm Atomic Carbon Laser in Mixtures of Helium + CO And Helium + CO2

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Abstract
The first successful modeling of an impurity-type nuclear pumped laser (NPL) (i.e., one that employs trace densities of the lasing species in a noble gas buffer), atomic carbon at 1.45 μm, was achieved. Such NPLs are important due to their low flux threshold and quasi-steady-state oscillation. The atomic carbon NPL is unique in that time delays up to 5 ms are observed between the laser signal and the excitation pulse in helium + CO2 mixtures while no delay is observed in helium + CO. Using a kinetic model in conjunction with an experimental program, we show that this difference in delay arises from slow dissociation of CO2 to form CO. Significantly, the model also successfully simulates electrical pumping of He-CO or CO2 mixtures.