Efficient oscillation regimes of an HF laser pumped by a nonchain chemical reaction initiated by a self-sustained discharge

The amplitude – time and spectral characteristics of laser radiation and discharge characteristics in mixtures of SF₆ with hydrogen and hydrocarbons at a high lasing efficiency are investigated. Lasing efficiencies of ~10 % with respect to the deposited energy are obtained under the pumping from capacitive and inductive energy storage units. It is shown that, during a pump pulse, the maximum efficiencies are achieved at high values of the parameter E/p in the laser gap. When profiled electrodes and UV preionisation are used, a specific output energy of a nonchain HF laser of ~140 J L^-1 atm^-1 and a lasing efficiency of ~4.5 % with respect to the stored energy were obtained. It is shown that the emission spectrum of a nonchain HF laser operating at high lasing efficiencies becomes significantly wider and cascade lasing is realised on the ν(3–2) → ν(2–1) → ν(1–0) vibrational transitions at several rotational lines.