The author is in the Departments of Physics and Applied Science of Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, and was formerly with the Bell Telephone Laboratories.
A detailed review of the present knowledge of gaseous optical masers is given. The paper is divided into four main sections: The first section contains a summary of basic general considerations, ranging from properties of the normal cavity modes through methods of measurement and interpretation in gas systems. The second contains a review of the dominant excitation mechanisms which have been used to produce population inversions in gas lasers. The third and main section considers various aspects of the numerous gas systems in which continuous oscillation has been achieved, and the last section deals with spectral characteristics and mode pulling effects. Where appropriate new material has been introduced, and an attempt has also been made to include a number of small engineering details which should be of help in the construction and operation of gaseous optical masers.
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The neon, argon, krypton, and xenon transitions are listed in both Paschen and Racah notation for convenience. Pertinent maser data are given for some of the strongest transitions, and these data (except for cesium) refer to a confocal system having an active discharge length of 2 m and 7-mm i.d. aperture. The values for the beam power are merely ones that have been obtained (multimode operation) and do not represent values for optimum coupling (see text).
Transition first observed in oscillating maser.
Dominates over other transitions from the same upper state.
Table II
Total Destructive Cross Sections for Metastable Levels Relevant to the Helium–Neon Maser. The Corresponding Collision Frequencies Are Given by Eqs. (19), (23), and (25)
Collision
Q (in 10−16 cm2 units)
Collision frequency (per metastable-sec, P in mm Hg)
The 2s data are from ref. 21. The 2s values correspond to 1 mm Hg of neon and are slightly shortened (
) by collision effects.
The 2p data are from ref. 51.
Table IV
Relative 2s—2p Transition Probabilities Calculated (Ref. 57) Using the jl-Coupling Approximationa
Transitions labeled “0” are forbidden in the jl-coupling scheme but are present as weak spontaneous emission lines. For convenience, Paschen, LS, and Racah notation have been used to identify each state.
Denotes maser oscillation has been obtained (see Table I).
Table V
Total Velocity-Averaged Destructive Cross Sections for Ne*–O2, Ar*–O2 and Kr*–O2 Collisions (in units of 10−15 cm2) (Refs. 3 and 70)
The neon, argon, krypton, and xenon transitions are listed in both Paschen and Racah notation for convenience. Pertinent maser data are given for some of the strongest transitions, and these data (except for cesium) refer to a confocal system having an active discharge length of 2 m and 7-mm i.d. aperture. The values for the beam power are merely ones that have been obtained (multimode operation) and do not represent values for optimum coupling (see text).
Transition first observed in oscillating maser.
Dominates over other transitions from the same upper state.
Table II
Total Destructive Cross Sections for Metastable Levels Relevant to the Helium–Neon Maser. The Corresponding Collision Frequencies Are Given by Eqs. (19), (23), and (25)
Collision
Q (in 10−16 cm2 units)
Collision frequency (per metastable-sec, P in mm Hg)
The 2s data are from ref. 21. The 2s values correspond to 1 mm Hg of neon and are slightly shortened (
) by collision effects.
The 2p data are from ref. 51.
Table IV
Relative 2s—2p Transition Probabilities Calculated (Ref. 57) Using the jl-Coupling Approximationa
Transitions labeled “0” are forbidden in the jl-coupling scheme but are present as weak spontaneous emission lines. For convenience, Paschen, LS, and Racah notation have been used to identify each state.
Denotes maser oscillation has been obtained (see Table I).
Table V
Total Velocity-Averaged Destructive Cross Sections for Ne*–O2, Ar*–O2 and Kr*–O2 Collisions (in units of 10−15 cm2) (Refs. 3 and 70)
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