Metal vapor visible laser kinetics program

Objective: The objective of this program is to investigate experimentally and theoretically the important kinetic rate processes pertinent to the development of a high power metal vapor visible laser. This research consists of three tasks. Each of the tasks are summarized below. Task I - Lower Level Kinetics (Experimental) Objective: The purpose of this task is to identify metal atom systems that allow selective collisional relaxation processes to efficiently quench lower levels of potential or demonstrated laser transitions. The present experimental study is directed to kinetic rate constant measurements for collisional relaxation of low-lying metastable states of lead, copper, and bismuth. Task II - Upper Level Kinetics (Experimental) Objective: The purpose of this task is to determine the efficiency of various quenching gases in deactivating the upper laser level of lead. To be useful, a quenching gas must rapidly relax the lower laser level and slowly relax the upper laser level, i.e. be selective. Accomplishments: The high temperature resonance fluorescence apparatus utilizing DC phase sensitive detection techniques constructed under this contract was used to provide cross-section information on the lead(6p7s) 3P 10 state. This task was completed and results reported in the semi-annual technical report dated February 1976. Task III - Excitation Processes (Theoretical) Objective: The objective of this effort is to calculate electronic impact and quenching cross sections for the upper and lower laser levels of copper. Accomplishments: Important cross sections required for modeling the copper vapor laser were calculated.