Efficient high-pressure quasi-cw laser using the first negative system of nitrogen

Experiments show that the rate at which the B state of the N2(+) ion is depopulated by hydrogen molecules is at least two orders of magnitude lower than the rate at which the X state is depopulated. It has thus been found possible to develop a high-power quasi-CW laser for the near-UV region (lambda = 391 nm) and for the visible region (lambda = 428 nm) with an efficiency up to 2 percent in electron-beam pumping of the high-pressure He/N2/H2 mixture. The output energy is observed to increase when the active medium is pumped by an electric discharge.