HCl, HF, and DF Partially Inverted cw Chemical Lasers

Abstract

Continuous‐wave chemical‐laser operation has been achieved at wavelengths from 2.7 to 4.0 μ from partially inverted P‐branch transitions of HCl, HF, and DF product molecules in a subsonic flow system. Several simple three‐body atom‐exchange reactions of the type extensively studied by Polanyi and co‐workers have been employed here. Selective laser oscillation on individual vibration‐rotation transitions was accomplished by means of a tunable cavity with a diffraction grating as a dispersing element. Performance comparisons are made between the present partially inverted lasers and the totally inverted HF–CO₂, DF–CO₂, HCl–CO₂, and HBr–CO₂ cw chemical lasers we have previously studied using the same chemical reactions.