Some features of the influence of discharge-current fluctuations on the output radiation of an He–Cd+ laser

For the first time a complete system of equations has been formulated for the populations of the energy levels of the components of an He–Cd⁺ laser mixture. This system allows for the main mechanisms of establishment and saturation of the inversion and also takes account of the dynamics of transverse separation of metal vapors in cataphoretic lasers. These equations are solved for small sinusoidal dischargecurrent fluctuations. It is shown that in the case of an He–Cd⁺ laser (unlike an He–Ne laser), the influence of the discharge-current fluctuations on the intensity has certain characteristic features. These features are associated with the involvement in the fluctuation process of the density of atoms of the active medium in the ground state and with the longer lifetime of the upper laser level.