Operation of ion lasers in a magnetic field

Theoretical and experimental investigations were made of cw lasing of ions in a radially inhomogeneous discharge in an axial magnetic field. Modeling the discharge structure revealed that an inhomogeneity of the radial distribution of the neutral component of the gas-discharge plasma decreased on increase in the magnetic field intensity, resulting in ambipolar diffusion. It was found that the dependence of the stimulated emission from an ion laser on the magnetic field is governed by magnetohydrodynamic transformation of the parameters of the plasma column and by nonlinear interference magnetooptic eifects caused by resonant scattering of radiation by split Zeeman sublevels.