SPECTROSCOPIC INVESTIGATIONS OF GROUP-IV-A FLUORIDES AS CHEMICAL-LASER CANDIDATES

Results of experiments to determine the laser potential of diatomic Group IV-A fluorides SiF, GeF, and SnF are presented. This class of molecules is characterized by **2 PI //1/////2//,//3/////2 ground state terms. The amount of spin-orbit splitting of the two terms ranges from 162 cm** minus **1 in SiF to 2317 cm** minus **1 in SnF. The first excited state in these molecules is an A**2 SIGMA state, which in GeF and SnF is slightly metastable. Several reaction schemes are known which chemically produce excited states in SiF, GeF, and SnF. Thus, the possibility exists for laser action on the A**2 SIGMA yields X**2 PI //3/////2 systems in GeF and SnF. In SiF, there is a highly metastable a**4 SIGMA level which lies above the A**2 SIGMA state. Results of efforts to produce laser action on the a**4 SIGMA yields A**2 SIGMA system in SiF are presented. Techniques described in this work include chemiluminescence and laser induced fluorescence.