Efficiency of an electron-beam-pumped atomic xenon laser

An experimental investigation was made of an atomic xenon laser in a wide r ange of active mixtures, pressures, and of the durations as well as specifi c powers of the electron-beam pump pulses. The highest efficiency was obtai ned at a pressure of about 1 bar in an Ar-Xe mixture with a xenon content o f similar to 1% at specific pump power densities 1-3 kW cm(-3) bar(-1). Hig h-efficiency quasi-cw operation was achieved when the beam current pulse du ration was similar to 100 mu s and the specific pump power density was simi lar to 1 kW cm(-3) bar(-1). Quasi-cw operation with the duration of the out put radiation pulses similar to 2.3 mu s was attained at a specific pump po wer density similar to 90 W cm(-3) bar(-1).