Abstract: Coherent light is emitted from a laser which comprises a cylindrical tube of dielectrical material surrounded at axially spaced locations by looped inductors extending over the major part of its circumference connected across a pulse generator, e.g. through a coaxial-cable transformer. The pulses may be used to vaporize annular metallic bodies within the tube, respectively aligned with these inductors, in order to generate metal vapors which are then excited by other pulses that are either transmitted axially through the tube across a pair of end electrodes or applied to other inductors surrounding the tube at locations between the vaporizing inductors. The tube may also be filled with a buffer gas, in which case the metallic bodies may be divided into arcuate sections separated by small gaps giving rise to arcing. Alternatively, the first-mentioned inductors may be used to excite only a gas, without metal-vapor generation.