Tunable electron-beam-controlled carbon dioxide laser

The results are given of an experimental study of the tuning of the emission frequency of an electron-beam-controlled CO₂ laser operating at pressures up to 8 atm. These results are obtained for a wide range of nitrogen concentrations (10–80%) in CO₂ + N₂ mixtures. The emission frequency can be tuned by 0.4 cm^–1 within pressure-broadened vibration-rotational transitions in a mixture of 1 part CO₂ and 2 parts N₂ at a pressure of 8 atm. Estimates are given of the parameters of an electron-beam-controlled CO₂ laser in which a continuous tuning of the emission frequency should be possible between several overlapping P- and R-branch lines.