Energy extraction from metastable excimers - Hg2 as an energy storage medium

The use of molecular mercury excimers as an optical storage medium is discussed. The technique involves relying on a middle-infrared laser such as HF, DF, or HBr to optically pump Hg2 out of various coupled reservoir states into the 1u radiating state. Optical gain at 300 nm is then obtained on the transition between the 1u and the dissociative ground states. Experiments which elucidate various details of the extraction process are presented, and a gain calculation, based on a simplified collisional model, is made.