Studies of CW laser oscillation on the 1315-nm transition of atomic iodine pumped by O/sub 2/(a/sup 1//spl Delta/) produced in an electric discharge

In this paper, we report on studies of a continuous-wave laser at 1315 nm on the I(/sup 2/P/sub 1/2/)/spl rarr/I(/sup 2/P/sub 3/2/) transition of atomic iodine where the O/sub 2/(a/sup 1//spl Delta/) used to pump the iodine was produced by a radio frequency excited electric discharge. The electric discharge was sustained in He-O/sub 2/ and Ar-O/sub 2/ gas mixtures upstream of a supersonic cavity which is employed to lower the temperature of the continuous gas flow and shift the equilibrium of atomic iodine in favor of the I(/sup 2/P/sub 1/2/) state. The results 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.