Lasing in mixtures of rare gases with fluorine pumped by volume diffuse discharges

Abstract

Laser parameters in He–Ar(Kr, Xe)–F2 and He–F2 gas mixtures under pumping by runawayelectron preionized diffuse discharge (REP DD) are studied. It is shown that a REP DD is an efficient XeF* and KrF* laser emission source. Lasing on transitions of molecular fluorine in the VUV region (at 157 nm) was obtained for the first time. It is shown that high homogeneity of REP DD allows an increase in the pulse length in rare gas fluorine lasers. Lasing parameters under the REP DD pumping are comparable with those obtained under pumping by commonly used transverse discharges with preionization.