Influence of the pump power on the spectral and time characteristics of an Ar–Xe laser

An investigation was made of the spectral and time characteristics of electron-beam-pumped and electron-beam-controlled Ar–Xe lasers operating in the pressure range p = 1–3 atm at electron current densities of j = 10–500 mA/cm². Irrespective of the pumping method, the pumping rate was shown to be the principal factor determining the spectral composition of the output radiation. A physical efficiency of 3% was achieved in the case of an Ar:Xe = 299:1 mixture at a pressure of p = 1.5 atm pumped by electron beam pulses of current density j = 500 mA/cm².