Characteristics of the inductive nitrogen laser generation

• Inductive N2 laser has characteristics dependent on pumping by inductive discharge.
• Simultaneous occurrence of Lewis–Rayleigh afterglow and laser generation at 337.
• Absence of IR radiation at 1+ system typical for electrical discharge N2 lasers.
• Ring shaped laser beam which size and width depend on excitation conditions.
• Inductive UV nitrogen laser has a low divergence of 0.4±0.1 mrad.
• Inductive N2 laser has pulse-to-pulse stability: pulse deviation amplitude.

The results of the experimental study of energy, temporal, spectral and spatial characteristics of UV inductive laser generation are presented. The study has identified a number of characteristics which demonstrate the differences between electron parameters of inductively coupled plasma and the plasma of longitudinal and transverse electrical discharges. The mechanism of simultaneous occurrence of Lewis-Rayleigh afterglow representing transitions between higher vibrational substates of B3Πg and A3∑u+ states; laser generation at C3Πu→B3Πg transition as well as the absence of IR radiation at 1st positive system typical for electrical discharge nitrogen lasers has been thoroughly researched. The major characteristic is ring shaped laser beam which size and width depend on excitation conditions. Inductive UV nitrogen laser is found to operate in ASE regime, but has a low divergence of 0.4±0.1 mrad and high pulse-to-pulse stability (laser pulse deviation amplitude did not exceed 1%).