Abstract: A continuous wave laser based on the electronic I*(2P½)?I(2P 3/2) transition of atomic iodine at 1.315 microns from the NCl(a1?)+I(2P 3/2) energy transfer reaction using a transverse flow device having gas flow from an upstream subsonic combustor section through a converging-diverging supersonic slit nozzle to a downstream supersonic section and an intersecting optical resonator. Laser operation is achieved through the transformation of the gas phase chemical reagents, D2 (deuterium), F2 (fluorine), NF3 (nitrogen trifluoride), DCl (deuterium chloride) HI (hydrogen iodide) in the subsonic section and HN3 (hydrogen azide) in the supersonic section.

Abstract: An all gas phase iodine cw laser operating on the electronic I(2P3/2)−I*(2P1/2) transition of atomic iodine at 1.315 &mgr;m was described. The laser is based on the energy transfer reaction between metastable NCl(a1&Dgr;) and ground state I(2P3/2) atoms. This all gas phase laser has a number of advantages over previous aqueous-based chemical oxygen iodine lasers, including lighter weight, zero-gravity operation, and heat rejection in the exhaust.

Abstract: A repetitively pulsed chemical oxygen-iodine laser having a resonant cavity containing a lasing medium in the form of a flowing mixture of excited oxygen and iodine atoms and an iodine absorption region within the resonant cavity. The iodine absorption region includes a source of iodine atoms and a magnetic field associated therewith. Selectively altering the magnetic field results in changing the absorption characteristics of the iodine atoms and therefore effectively pulses the output of the laser.