Studies of CW laser oscillation on the 1315-nm transition of atomic iodine pumped by O2(a1Δ) produced in an electric discharge

In this paper, we report on studies of a continuous-wave laser at 1315 mn on the I(P-2(1/2)) -> I(P-2(3/2)) transition of atomic iodine where the O-2(a(1)Delta) used to pump the iodine was produced by a radio frequency excited electric discharge. The electric discharge was sustained in He-O-2 and Ar-O-2 gas mixtures upstream of a supersonic cavity which is employed to lower the temperature of the continuous gas flow and shift the equilibrium state. The results of atomic iodine in favor of the I((2)p(1/2)) of experimental studies for several different flow conditions, discharge arrangements, and mirror sets are presented. The highest laser output power obtained in these experiments was 520 mW in a stable cavity composed of two 99.995% reflective mirrors.