High-pressure CS2 electric discharge laser

Abstract

Laser action has been observed at 11.5 and 12.2 μm in electron‐beam‐stabilized electric discharges using He/CO/CS₂ and He/N₂/CS₂ gas mixtures. Laser operation at 1 atm pressure was possible using He/CO/CS₂ mixtures. Laser assignments, aided by the use of ¹³C‐enriched samples, indicate that the 001 to 100 and 01¹1 to 11¹0 transitions of CS₂ both contribute to the lines observed. Line coincidences, which are very likely for several bands of CS₂, may be the cause of the anomalous laser intensity distribution among the rotational states observed at low pressures.