Visible Molecular Lasers - REU Supplement

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This research program is a continuation of experimental work in laser physics supported under NSF grant ECS-8411743. Its goals are the development of new and efficient sources of tunable coherent radiation in the visible and ultraviolet spectral regions, and a better understanding of the fundamental processes occurring in existing and potential new sources. One experiment is designed to demonstrate an optically-pumped, continuous HgBr, HgI or PbI laser in the visible. The electrical or optical dissociation of HgBr2, HgI2 or PbI2 would be followed by optically exciting (with a CW UV laser or an arc lamp) the B state from the ground state. Measuring the threshold pumping power for this laser and investigating the use of isotopically-enriched metal-halide salts to enhance the small-signal gain are two of the primary initial goals of this research. Also proposed are studies to examine the feasibility of a quasi-CW Iodine Fluoride (IF) laser pumped by excitation transfer from the lowest metastable state of N2 or CO. Electron beam-produced metastable molecules would be mixed with I2 and F2 in a cylindrical nozzle arrangement and the presence of gain detected with a CW dye laser. Microwave probing experiments will investigate the limitations posed by excited state collisions on energy loading of the active medium.