Influence of the line overlap on the spectral and energy characteristics of CO electron-beam-controlled lasers

A time-dependent kinetic model of a CO electron-beam-controlled laser, allowing for the PP and PR overlaps of the emission lines, is used in an investigation of the output characteristics in a laser. It is shown that, beginning from pressures of ~ 0.1 atm (T ~ 100 K), the line overlap alters significantly the vibrational–rotational emission spectrum and, in particular, many of the P lines are no longer observed. At pressures of the order of or higher than the atmospheric value the line overlap reduces considerably (by up to tens of times) the efficiency and limits greatly the feasibility of continuous tuning of the laser emission frequency.