Pulsed discharge N2/SF6 laser with cw x radiation as a preionization source

Abstract

A cw x-ray generator was used as a preionizer for a pulsed-discharge uv N2/SF6 laser. We revealed experimentally that cw x radiation was effective for preionization of a N2 laser discharge. We observed that the N2 laser energy increased linearly with increasing initial electron number density generated by a cw x-ray preionizer when the electron number density was below 6×107 cm−3 and the input energy loading was kept at 35 J/l. In the case of x-ray illumination, the N2 laser energy increased by a factor of 12 over that of pure N2 gas when SF6 was added.