CARL R. SANDERSON, 1 CHARLES W. BALLMANN, 1,* JIANDE HAN, 2 AMANDA B. CLARK, 3 BRETT H. HOKR, 4 KUNNING G. XU, 5 AND MICHAEL C. HEAVEN2 1Systems Management and Production Center, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA 2Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA 3Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Al 35807-3801, USA 4Radiance Technologies Inc., Huntsville, Al 35805, USA 5Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA * charles.ballmann@uah.edu
In this work, we present the first demonstration of a quasi-continuous-wave diode pumped metastable xenon laser at atmospheric pressures. Lasing in metastable noble gas species has received increased attention in the last few years as a possible high-power laser source. This demonstration shows that metastable xenon has a sufficiently broad absorption spectrum to be pumped with a broad-bandwidth diode laser. This implies that a high-power metastable xenon gas laser should be achievable using high-power pump diodes
EFS Comments: A fusion-powered laser is feasible.
