New active media for photodissociative lasers operating in the visible range

An investigation was made of the lasing properties of broadband optically pumped active media utilizing the perfluoralkyl mercury halides CF$_3$HgCl, CF$_3$HgBr, CF$_3$HgI, and $i$-C$_3$F$_7$HgBr. Low-temperature lasing ($Т\lesssim$ 100°C) was obtained for the first time using mercury monoiodide ($\lambda_{\text{g}}\approx$ 444 nm) produced by the photodissociation of CF$_3$HgI, and the laser activity of the $i$-C$_3$F$_7$HgBr molecule was demonstrated. It was found that active media utilizing the perfluoralkyl mercury halides have energy characteristics which are not inferior to those of active media utilizing mercury dihalides, but that they can lase efficiently at a considerably lower temperature ($Т\approx$ 120–135 °С).