Linewidth and Saturation Parameters for the 6328-Å Transition in a He–Ne Laser

Abstract

Experimental measurements of the collision-broadened linewidth and saturation parameters for the 6328-Å transition of Ne in a He–Ne laser are reported as a function of total gas pressure in the laser tube. The measurements are made from observations of the single-mode output power of a laser as a function of frequency. The experimental results are found to fit well a form of Lamb's theory for single-mode operation which has been modified to include gas-collision effects. A theoretical calculation of the saturation parameter is made and the result is found to be in fair agreement with the experimental measurements.