Energy characteristics of cw gas-discharge lasers utilizing self-terminating atomic transitions. I. Experimental investigation of quasi-cw barium vapor lasers

An investigation was made of the characteristics of lasing due to the self-terminating transition 6p¹P₁–5d¹D₂ of the barium atom when barium vapor was excited in a quasi-cw discharge. A train of stimulated emission pulses was generated in a longitudinal discharge, the average specific power in a train being ~150 mW/cm³. This figure exceeded the average specific laser output power from pulsed barium vapor lasers. In a hollow-cathode discharge a specific power for quasi-cw lasing of ~20 mW/cm³ was obtained. The discharge parameters needed for quasi-cw lasing were estimated.