Planar Xe laser with cw radio-frequency pumping

The characteristics of the radiation of a planar Xe laser excited by transverse RF discharge at a frequency of 40.68 MHz with diffusive cooling of the active medium and a nonselective optical cavity have been investigated. The spectral and power characteristics of the Xe laser have been experimentally studied as functions of the interelectrode-gap width (1.4 — 2.5 mm), composition and pressure (30 — 100 Torr) of working gas mixture, input power density (0.4 — 34 W cm^-3), and the electrode temperature. The output laser power was found to decrease at an interelectrode gap above 1.6 mm. The threshold pump power was 12 W (power density 0.4 W cm^-3). Addition of butane to the working mixture increases the output power by approximately 50 % at interelectrode gaps of 2.0 — 2.5 mm. A cw lasing power of 4 W and a maximum efficiency of ~0.7 % are obtained. Good prospects of the Xe laser operating at wavelengths of 2.03, 2.65, and 3.51 μm are shown.