Copper ion laser: Line broadening studies

We present results of intensity and line broadening investigations of spontaneous emission from atoms excited in a copper hollow-cathode discharge. These measurements indicate a group of electrons exists in the discharge with a density of ≲1014 e−/cm3 and an effective electron temperature of 0.1 to 0.2 eV. The temperatures of atomic species present in the He-Cu discharge have been measured. Finally, the Lorentz width of spontaneous emission from Cu II laser transitions is observed to be a large fraction of the Doppler width and is consistent with the observed homogeneouslike operation of the copper ion laser.