Atomic xenon recombination laser excited by thermal ionizing radiation from a magnetoplasma compressor and discharge

A description is given and the results are reported of the first photoionization-recombination laser using atomic xenon excited by thermal ionizing radiation from a plasma. The pump source was a multichannel plasmadynamic discharge in magnetoplasma compressors, which was ignited in the active medium of the laser. When the composition of the working mixture was optimal (Xe:Ar = 1:250) and the total pressure was 1 atm, the output energy was ~ 0.5 J in the form of pulses of ~ 10 μs duration and the maximum specific output energy represented by laser radiation was 1–2 J/liter. The unsaturated gain was 27 m ^– 1. A kinetic laser scheme was proposed and analyzed. It allowed for the processes of photoionization, ion conversion, dissociative recombination, interaction of excited states with electron and buffer gases, etc. An important role played by heating of the active medium during pumping was demonstrated and it explained the observed characteristics of the spatial and temporal structure of the lasing process, particularly bleaching of large volumes of the active medium. The potential output energy of the laser was considered and specific constructions were proposed to attain a lasing efficiency amounting to a few percent.