Optically pumped infrared V-V transfer lasers

Laser action in OCS, CO2, N2O, C2H2, and CS2 has been obtained by resonant vibrational-to-vibrational (V-V) energy transfer from CO gas excited by a frequency-doubled CO2 TEA laser. Output energies up to 0.5 mJ, energy conversion efficiencies as high as 7%, and thresholds as low as 0.1 mJ have been observed.