A EUTECTIC GOLD VAPOR LASER

This paper presents a eutectic gold vapour laser (EGVL) which uses the eutectic alloy of gold and silicon, Au/3.15Si, as the lasant. It was observed that, at low input power operation, the presence of the silic on vapour could increase the output of the 627.8 nm laser line by (50- 60)% when compared with a gold vapour laser (GVL) which uses pure gold as the lasant. The improved laser output for the EGVL may be explaine d by an increased electron density, as a result of Penning ionization of silicon atoms. However, for higher input power operation, the EGVL showed a slower rate of increase in its laser output power and was ove rtaken by GVLs at a tube operating temperature of around 1650-degrees- C. This may be explained by a lowering of the electron temperature owi ng to increasing inelastic collisions between the electrons and silico n atoms which, although excited, may not produce additional electrons.