Abstract: An iodine chemical laser is disclosed comprising: a laser cavity; a combustion chamber; a first injector injecting into said combustion chamber an iodine compound as a fuel; a first supply means for supplying the fuel to said first injector; a second injector for injecting F.sub.2 and NF.sub.3 into said combustion chamber; a second supply means for supplying said F.sub.2 and NF.sub.3 to said second injector; combustion initiating means for initiating combustion of the mixture fuel-combustion supporter in said combustion chamber; a supersonic nozzle for extracting products resulting from said combustion fuel-combustion supporter and supplying them into said laser cavity; supply means for supplying singlet oxygen into said laser cavity at the same time as said combustion resulting products; said fuel being in excess with respect to stoichiometric proportions corresponding to said combustion, richness .phi. of said iodine compound fuel with respect to said stoichiometric proportions being 0.5<.phi.<2.

Abstract: To generate atomic iodine in the fundamental state, a combustion reaction between a combustion supporter and a fuel, of which one at least is an iodine compound, are injected into a chamber. Means to enable the two products to be measured out with an excess of the iodine compound with respect to the stoichiometric proportions of the combustion and means to initiate the combustion reaction are provided.