Dynamics of the N2O laser as measured with a tunable-diode laser
Abstract
A tunable-diode laser operating in the 2120-2350-Kayser wave-number region is used to probe a conventional CW N2O laser discharge. Absorption lines in more than 10 different vibrational bands are observed, making it possible to determine vibrational populations in all levels of concern to the dynamics of the 10-micron N2O laser. The populations in the three normal modes of vibration of N2O are found to follow Boltzmann distributions, with the nu-1 and nu-2 modes maintaining a common vibrational temperature under all discharge conditions. The factors limiting the small-singal 10-micron gain are investigated in detail, and it is found that electron deexcitation of the 00(0)1 level is much more important than N2O dissociation.
- Publication:
-
Journal of the Optical Society of America B Optical Physics
- Pub Date:
- May 1985
- DOI:
- 10.1364/JOSAB.2.000807
- Bibcode:
- 1985JOSAB...2..807F
- Keywords:
-
- Gas Lasers;
- Infrared Spectroscopy;
- Laser Spectroscopy;
- Nitrous Oxides;
- Optical Transition;
- Tunable Lasers;
- Absorption Spectra;
- Lasing;
- Molecular Oscillations;
- Population Inversion;
- Power Gain;
- Semiconductor Lasers;
- Vibration Mode;
- Lasers and Masers