Pulsed corona excitation of high-power uv nitrogen lasers at pressures of 0--3 bar

Stabilized pulsed corona-type discharges can be used to pump uv laser efficiently at high pressures and on nanosecond time scales. This letter deals with the adaptation of this principle to the excitation of molecular nitrogen lasers at pressures ranging from 0 to 3 bar. Magawatt pulses of nanosecond duration may be obtained from a simple 25-cm atmospheric-pressure device. The electrical excitation is effected by a flat-plate Blumlein circuit