Investigation of inversion mechanisms in inert-gas mixture lasers pumped by optical break-down

The present paper is concerned with inversion formation mechanisms in inert-gas mixture lasers pumped by optical break-down. For this purpose interferometric and spectroscopic investigations of the active medium (AM) were carried out. The AM parameters were investigated by the double-exposure holographic interferometry. The 20 ns pulse ruby laser (Rb) was used in the interferometer as a light source. An optimum working mixture composition, He:Xe=1000:1 was determined. It is shown that lasing in the inert gas-mixture, lasers pumped by optical break-down is attained as a result of a complex action on the gas mixture of not plasma kernel UV radiation and virtually not ionizing the gas shock wave which activates the processes of AM development. (author)