Spectroscopic investigation of an optically pumped carbon tetrafluoride laser

Frequency tuning of the CF 4 laser in the range 612-645 cm –1 and stabilization of its operation by pumping with pulsed CO 2 laser radiation in the 9 μ range is reported. The CF 4 laser frequency is tuned by tuning the pump frequency over the stimulated emission lines of the CO 2 laser. The number of emitted frequencies is increased considerably by using isotopically substituted C 18 O 2 and 13 CF 4 molecules. The CF 4 laser stimulated emission is stabilized and finely tuned by stabilizing and finely tuning the CO 2 laser frequency within the CO 2 gain line width. At a pump energy of 2 J, a stimulated emission energy of 40 mJ was obtained in a pulse of 100 nsec duration. The Coriolis constant of the upper laser level was determined and the observed CF 4 laser stimulated emission lines were identified.