Collisional thulium vapour gas-discharge laser

A collisional laser on a system of atomic levels based on the principle proposed by Gould is built for the first time. The population of the upper laser level and relaxation of the lower level occur upon inelastic collisions of excited thulium atoms with helium atoms. The lower-level relaxation occurs in a reaction with an energy defect of > 13000 cm^-1.