INVESTIGATION OF PULSE GAS-DISCHARGE LASERS UTILIZING ATOMIC TRANSITIONS.

An investigation was made of pulse gas-discharge lasers utilizing transitions from resonance to metastable levels in helium, thallium, and lead atoms and in mercury ions. All these lasers had high ultimate efficiencies. Population inversion mechanism of the green thallium line emitted from thallium iodide vapor was studied. Investigations were made of the pulse laser emission and superradiance due to 2p-1s transitions in neon, argon, krypton, and xenon; the population inversion mechanism responsible for these transitions was confirmed. The experimental data obtained in the present study and the results of other workers were used to analyze the prospects of pulse lasers of the type considered. The active media and transitions, which should ensure pulse stimulated emission, were identified.