Abstract

The iodine monobromide (IBr) photodissociation laser is an effective converter of visible photons into IR laser power. Absorption in the 400-600-nm range produces excited metastable bromine atoms with a 75% branching ratio. Such an absorption range is near the peak of the solar emission and thus makes the IBr laser an attractive solar-pumped laser candidate. Laser action at 2.7 μm results from the 4²P_I/2 → 4²P_3/2 transition of atomic bromine. This laser is an attractive candidate for a kilowatt space or land-based solar-pumped laser if an effective way can be found to flow the gas across the cavity in ~100 μsec.

© 1984 Optical Society of America