OPTICALLY PUMPED FAR-INFRARED MOLECULAR LASERS - SPECTROSCOPIC AND APPLICATION ASPECTS

Optical pumping of molecular vapours has proved to be a valuable techn ique for the generation of coherent emission of radiation in the far i nfrared (FIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In this review a rticle we discuss various aspects of FIR lasers optically pumped by a CO2 laser. We mainly focus on the molecular aspects and the characteri stics of the active media. The major active media are discussed in ter ms of molecular properties. In addition, the applications of FIR laser s in various fields of science and technology are discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.