Maximum performance of discharge-pumped exciplex laser at λ=222 nm

The results of an experimental investigation into lasing and spontaneous emission from Ne(He, Ar)-Kr-HCl are presented. Evidence has been gathered of the effect of the pumping power, preionization rate, pumping pulse duration, and composition and pressure of the gas mixture on the lasing characteristics under discharge pumping. KrCl* formation efficiency is shown to be nearly half as much as for XeCl*. The output energy was 0.65 J for /spl sim/60 ns laser pulse duration (FWHM), 2.5% efficiency based on the pumping power, and 0.65% efficiency based on the stored energy while for the 10 ns pulse duration, 2.7% efficiency based on the pumping power and 0.8% efficiency based on the stored energy the output energy was 0.15 J. Recommendations are made for development of KrCl lasers with maximum output parameters.>