Three-level molecular iodine laser pumped by a cw dye laser

An experimental investigation was made of laser action due to the B³Π_ou⁺–X¹Σ_g⁺ electronic transition in molecular iodine in the 0.67–1.24 μ range pumped by a cw rhodamine 6G dye laser. The total number of lasing lines in this range was estimted to be ~10⁵. The threshold pump power was 10–30 mW for the 1.1–1.2 μ range and 30–100 mW outside this range. An investigation was made of the lasing line profile.