Knowledge Bank

Pulsed lasing from optically pumped noble gas atoms has been demonstrated previously in our laboratory. The lasing relied on a three level scheme, which involved the two lowest energy states of the n$p$$\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">5</mrow>}$(n+1)$p$ configuration and the lowest energy state of the n$p$$\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">5</mrow>}$(n+1)$s$ configuration $\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">3</mrow>}$P$\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">2</mrow>}$. Population inversion was achieved using collisional relaxation by helium or argon at pressures near 1 atm. State-to-state energy transfer rate constants are required for modeling these systems. In this study, we have measured the energy transfer and quenching rate constants for the lower Ar(3$p$$^{5}$4$\textit{p}$) states in collisions with Ar and He. The excited states were populated by pulsed laser excitation of metastable Ar atoms. The metastables were generated by a pulsed electrical discharge. Kinetic processes were interrogated using time-resolved laser induced fluorescence and dispersed fluorescence techniques. For Ar* in collision with Ar, our measured rate constants are in reasonable agreement with previously reported values. For Ar* with He, the rate constants had not been reported previously. We have also investigated the possibility of forming an Ar laser buffered with He or Ar and pumped by a CW diode laser. The lasing experiments will be reported, and the application of the measured rate constants to modeling the lasing system will be described.