A regenerative power amplifier operating on the blue-green line of the nitrogen ion laser
Abstract
Operation of the nitrogen ion laser as an optical regenerative amplifier driven by a master oscillator allows the output to be effectively switched into the blue-green region of the spectrum. In this work an amplifier containing a dilute plasma of nitrogen ions was pumped by thermolecular charge transfer from He2+ produced by an intense e-beam propagating through several atmospheres pressure of gas mixture. The injection of relatively broadband output from a dye laser oscillator caused the output from the amplifier to switch entirely into the (0,2) vibrational component of the B→X electronic transition of N+2 at 470.9 nm. An output linewidth of 0.007 nm was achieved together with the early saturation of the laser transition needed for the extraction of power from the amplifier at optimal efficiency.
- Publication:
-
Applied Physics Letters
- Pub Date:
- October 1978
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.90484
- Bibcode:
- 1978ApPhL..33..624C
- Keywords:
-
- Emission Spectra;
- Gas Lasers;
- Light Amplifiers;
- Nitrogen Ions;
- Positive Feedback;
- Power Amplifiers;
- Broadband;
- Charge Transfer;
- Electron Transitions;
- Energy Conversion Efficiency;
- Laser Outputs;
- Line Spectra;
- Luminous Intensity;
- Spectral Line Width;
- Lasers and Masers;
- 42.55.Hq