Laser Separation of Carbon Isotopes by High-Power IR Laser Radiation

— A review is presented of the results obtained during the development of an industrial technology for laser carbon-isotope separation using multiphoton dissociation of molecules with a repetitively pulsed CO 2 laser. The key scientific and technical solutions that made it possible to develop the technology are given. The world’s first industrial facility for the production of enriched carbon isotope 13 C is described. The possibility of developing a purely laser two-stage process for producing a highly enriched (more than 99%) 13 C isotope is considered.