Abstract
An etalon-tuned iodine photodissociation laser has been used to study the hyperfine splitting of the 1.315 mu m iodine laser transition, giving accurate frequency splittings and relative line strengths. Conditions for discrete line selection at low pressures and continuous tuning at higher pressures are described in terms of the variation of the oscillation threshold with frequency. Using the tunable oscillator together with an amplifier, the relative gains of the hyperfine transitions have been measured as a function of pressure, giving the broadening data for n-C3F7I and argon.