Investigation of an electric-discharge XeCl laser with a radiation energy of 5 J per pulse

An investigation was made of an electric-discharge XeCl laser with the active region of 4 cm × 5.5 cm × 100 cm dimensions. The laser was pumped by one of two pulse generators: a generator with a two-circuit configuration, a peaking capacitor, and a spark switch or a thyratron magnetic generator. An Ne(He, Ar)–Xe–HCl working mixture was preionised by x rays of 25–30 keV energy. A study was made of the conditions needed for the initiation of a homogeneous volume discharge. When the buffer gas in the mixture was neon, the radiation energy per pulse was 5 J, in a mixture with helium it was 2.5 J, and in a mixture with argon it was 1.2 J.