Stimulated emission due to transitions in copper atoms formed in transverse discharges in copper halide vapors

Stimulated emission as a result of self-terminating transitions in the copper atom was observed in discharges in copper chloride and iodide. Pairs of discharge pulses were applied to a quartz tube with a heated zone 400 mm long and 20 pairs of electrodes. Neon was used as the buffer gas. The dependence of the peak output power on the separation in each pair of pulses was determined. The specific energy output per pulse was 50 μ/cm³ for CuCl and 40 μJ/cm³ for CuI; these values were higher than those obtained by other authors in transverse discharges.