Parametric investigation of a pulse photoinitiated chemical CS2/O2 laser

The effective energy characteristics of a pulse photoinitiated CS₂/O₂ laser (the radiating molecule was CO) were determined by altering the active losses in the resonator and by amplifying superluminescence. The effective gain of a CS₂ : O₂ : N₂O= 1:19:5 mixture supplied with a photoinitation energy of 2.2 kJ was measured by both methods and found to be (21 ± 1) X 10^–3 cm^–1. The active losses method was used to find the total internal losses, energy stored by population inversion, and resonator parameters optimal from the point of view of energy extraction. The superluminescence method was used to find the dependence of the gain on the pressure and composition of the mixture. The results obtained were used in a qualitative description of the CO laser on the basis of a two-level model.