Xenon fluoride (C–A) visible-emitting laser pumped optically by radiation from a sectioned surface discharge

An optical pump source was developed on the basis of a sectioned low-voltage discharge with a brightness temperature T_b ≈ 30 kK emitting at 150–250 nm and characterized by a small time scatter of operation of the individual sections (<0.25 μsec). A study was made of the characteristics of an XeF (C–A) laser (λ = 490 nm) pumped by this source. The duration of the output pulses of this laser was 1.5 μsec and the width of the emission spectrum was ~30 nm.