A new blue-green excimer laser in XeF

A new photolytically pumped blue-green excimer laser has been demonstrated on the C-A transition in XeF, with an output energy of greater than 1 mJ. Xe2 excimer fluorescence at 172 nm was used to photodissociate XeF2, producing XeF(B1/2) and XeF(3/2). The B1/2 state was collisionally relaxed to the C3/2 state with an Ar buffer. Lasing then proceeds on the C3/2-A3/2 transition. Measurements of the laser spectrum showed a peak wavelength of 483 nm with a bandwidth of 12 nm. This new laser is potentially highly efficient and scalable, and should be tunable over a bandwidth greater than 40 nm.