Measurement of the 0001 CO2 vibrational-level lifetime in a waveguide laser

The lifetime of τ₁ of the 00⁰1 vibrational level of the CO₂ molecule in a waveguide laser was measured by modulating the pump discharge current. The frequency dependences of the 4.3 μ luminescence intensity were obtained for various percentage concentrations of carbon dioxide in the active mixture. Specially developed auxiliary apparatus was used to stabilize the output power of a CO₂ waveguide laser by suppressing dischargecurrent fluctuations (caused by technical factors) in the investigated frequency range.