Efficient excitation conditions for an electric-discharge F2 laser

An F₂ laser operating at a pressure of an F₂ – He – Ne gas mixture of up to 3300 mbar is investigated. The conditions for obtaining a maximum lasing efficiency are determined as a function of the parameters of the excitation system. It is found that small amounts of neon (~100 mbar) added to the working mixture insignificantly (by ~15%) reduce the output energy, but substantially improve the discharge homogeneity. A 157-nm F₂ laser operating at a comparatively low pressure in the active medium is developed. Its pulse energy is 28 mJ and the efficiency is 0.14%.