STIMULATED-EMISSION OF ARGON DIMERS EXCITED BY A PULSED PLASMA-CATHODE DISCHARGE

Results are reported from a theoretical and experimental investigation aimed at obtaining lasing on transitions of an Ar-2 excimer laser pum ped by a pulsed electric discharge. It is shown that by using a recent ly developed plasma-cathode discharge, quasi-cw excitation of the lase r active medium can be achieved with a gain of around 0.1 cm(-1). The results of preliminary experiments performed using a model system indi cate an effect wherein the duration of the spontaneous emission at the lambda=126 nm transition of the Ar-2 dimer decreases monotonically as its peak intensity increases. This behavior, which is observed with i ncreasing pump intensity, is evidence of a stimulated emission effect in the system. However, the measurements indicate that no amplificatio n takes place in the active medium because of accidental impurities in the working gas. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7842( 97)00911-2].