Measurement of positive gain on the 1315 nm transition of atomic iodine pumped by O2(a1Δ) produced in an electric discharge

Laser action at 1315 nm on the I(P-2(1/2))-->I(P-2(3/2)) transition of atomic iodine is conventionally obtained by a near-resonant energy transfer from O-2(a(1)Delta), which is produced using wet-solution chemistry. The system difficulties of chemically producing O-2(a(1)Delta) has motivated investigations into gas phase methods to produce O-2(a(1)Delta) using low-pressure electric discharges. In this letter we report on positive gain on the 1315 nm transition of atomic iodine where the O-2(a(1)Delta) was produced in a flowing electric discharge. The electric discharge was followed by a continuously flowing supersonic cavity that was necessary to lower the temperature of the flow and shift the equilibrium of atomic iodine more in favor of the I(P-2(1/2)) state. A tunable diode laser system capable of scanning the entire line shape of the (3,4) hyperfine transition of iodine provided the measurements of gain. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.