Characteristics of an UV nitrogen laser with surface and volume discharges

The effectiveness and the promise a surface discharge for UV lasing was demonstrated for the C³π_u — Bπ_g self-terminating transition in molecular nitrogen. A study of the UV lasing kinetics showed that the main processes leading to population inversion occur during the discharge formation stage. UV nitrogen lasers with a transverse surface discharge are characterised by a higher radiation power density, sufficient for lens-free pumping of organic dyes, and a high repetition frequency of the output pulses.