Stimulated emission from high‐pressure xenon has been observed recently in the vacuum ultraviolet by three groups, all of whom believe they have demonstrated laser action. The stimulated transitions occur between the lowest bound diatomic states of xenon and the repulsive ground state. According to one of the experimenters, James Gerardo of Sandia Laboratories, this is the first example of a laser where the lower laser level is not bound. Furthermore, he said, it is the first uv laser that has the potential of being high‐powered—10% efficiency is possible. One application that interests Sandia, for example, is that a high‐power xenon laser could be useful for laser‐induced thermonuclear fusion (see page 46).
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© 1973 American Institute of Physics.
1973
American Institute of Physics
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