Laser radiation of CdS_xSe_1-x targets in a gas diode

Laser radiation of semiconductor targets of CdS_xSe_1-x solid solutions excited by an electron beam in a gas-filled diode was investigated at constant and varying gas pressures. In the first case, lasing was excited by an electron beam with an energy of 170 keV and a duration of 100 ps in semiconductor targets with different x. The highest powers 125 and 96 kW were achieved at x ≈ 0.2 (λ ≈ 677 nm) and x ≈ 1 (λ ≈ 522 nm), respectively. The minimum power (26 kW) was observed in the yellow-green spectral region. The maximum slope efficiency in these experiments reached 9%. In the second case, the radiation power of CdS targets (x = 1) was studied as a function of the air pressure in the gas diode varying from 0.1 to 2.5 Torr. The experimental data well agree with the calculation results. The possibility of reducing the radiation divergence by using a conical optical fibre is demonstrated. At the lasing threshold of semiconductor targets exited by an electron beam or a streamer discharge, filamentary channels appear due to, probably, an anisotropy of the impact ionisation coefficient. (lasers)