RELAXATION OF THE 10.6 μ CO2 LASER LEVELS BY COLLISIONS WITH H2

Abstract

Time characteristics of the afterglow gain of a pulsed CO₂:H₂ laser amplifier were investigated. Evidence shows that a rapid nonradiative transfer of population from the upper to the lower CO₂ laser levels occurs at higher H₂ pressures (P ≥ 2 torr). An absorption pulse on the order of 1 msec in duration following the initial gain period is attributed to population accumulation (or a bottleneck) at the 01⁰1 level.