Photodissociation XeF laser operating with an efficiency of about 1 %

Measurements were made of the instantaneous lasing efficiency of a photodissociation XeF laser, defined as the ratio of the power of the output radiation of the laser to the electrical power deposited in the pump source. The laser was pumped with ultraviolet radiation from an open high-current discharge. At the lasing pulse maximum the efficiency was 0.8% at the wavelength of 353 nm and 1 % at 485 nm (with a correction for the geometric factor representing utilization of the pump radiation). The energy of the output pulses and the average specific output energy at 353 nm were 28 J and 18 J/liter, respectively, whereas at 485 nm the corresponding values were 14.5 J and 10 J/liter.