Molecular laser emitting in the middle-infrared range and utilizing the energy of singlet oxygen

A theoretical analysis is made of the kinetics of population inversion of SO₂ levels in a mixture containing vibrationally excited oxygen O₂(X, ν), formed as a result of relaxation of the O₂(¹Δ) electronic energy. It is shown that the gain for the SO₂ transitions at the 12 and 16 μm wavelengths is sufficient to achieve lasing.