Method of producing population inversion and lasing at short wavelengths by charge transfer

摘要

A stimulated emission device operative in the ultraviolet and soft x- ray regions. A high-power infrared laser is focused on a slab target vaporizing the material and generating highly stripped target ions with varying velocities. Just prior to laser initiation, a gaseous environment of helium, hydrogen, argon or neon is injected to surround the target (e. g., carbon) at a pressure of from 1-10 Torr. The injected gas and associated electrons modify and mix the interacting particles originating from the vaporized target. Ion-atom resonance, charge- transfer reactions take place to form excited-state ions to produce amplified stimulated emission in the 300-800 Angstrom region.