DEVICE FOR PRODUCING STIMULATED INFRARED EMISSION, AN IRASER, HAVING A WAVELENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 10.6U BY MEANS OF AN ELECTRIC DISCHARGE IN A GAS MIXTURE CONSISTING PARTLY OF CARBONIC ACID GAS, AND ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBE DESTINED FOR SUCH A DEVICE

摘要

According to the invention, a device is provided for producing stimulated infrared emission, an iraser, having a wavelength of approximately 10.6 by means of an electric discharge having a current density exceeding 15 mA/sq.cm in a gas mixture. The mixture consists of carbonic acid gas, nitrogen, helium and water vapour in a discharge tube of a few metres length and which includes a plane parallel plate of germanium having a thickness of approxmately 2 mm as output coupling window and also as a reflector. The discharge tube has a diameter of maximally 10 mm, the water vapour pressure is from 0.3 to 0.4 Torr and the ends of the discharge tube are connected by a narrow communication tube in which no discharge takes place.