Table-top Ar--N2 laser

A compact Ar-N2 excitation transfer laser pumped by a coaxial electron gun is demonstrated. This laser emits a 40-ns, 300-kW pulse at a nominal repetition rate of 1 HZ. With 45 J of energy delivered to the electron gun, 12 mJ of laser output at 3577 A is obtained. A 2.8% laser efficiency is estimated from simple electron deposition calculations, and the over-all electrical efficiency is estimated to be 0.03%. Because the stored energy needed in previously reported Ar-N2 lasers has been reduced by more than an order of magnitude while maintaining a comparable laser energy output, this device represents a significant step forward in the study of high-pressure electron-beam-pumped lasers