Pulsed chemical oxygen – iodine laser initiated by a transverse electric discharge

A pulsed chemical oxygen – iodine laser with a volume production of atomic iodine in a pulsed transverse electric discharge is studied. An increase in the partial oxygen pressure was shown to increase the pulse energy with retention of the pulse duration. At the same time, an increase in the iodide pressure and the discharge energy shortens the pulse duration. Pulses with a duration of 6.5 μs were obtained, which corresponds to a concentration of iodine atoms of 1.8 × 10¹⁵ cm^-3. This concentration is close to the maximum concentration attained in studies of both cw and pulsed oxygen-iodine lasers. A specific energy output of 0.9 J litre^-1 and a specific power of 75 kW litre^-1 were obtained. The ways of increasing these parameters were indicated. It was found that SF₆ is an efficient buffer gas favouring improvements in the energy pulse parameters.