Optical characteristics of the gas-discharge plasma of working mixtures in an excimer HgBr/HgI radiation source

The composition and partial pressures were determined for the components of gas mixtures which provide the maximum emission yield simultaneously at two wavelengths 502 nm and 444 nm in the self-heating regime of an excimer HgBr/HgI radiation source excited by a barrier discharge. The conditions for prolonged (no less than 4 × 10⁶ pulses) stable operation at high pulse repetition rates f = 0.5 - 10 kHz are determined. Pulsed and average (for f = 5 kHz) output power densities of 270 W cm^-3 and 65 mW cm^-3, respectively, and the pump-to-output power conversion efficiency of ~30% were achieved. The processes increasing the population of the upper B²Σ_1/2⁺ state of mercury monohalides are discussed.