Feasibility of constructing excimer lasers with ionization by an external low-power source

A method is suggested for pumping excimer lasers by accumulation of negative ions and preliminary experiments are reported in which an electron beam was used as an external ionization source. Lasing due to transitions in the XeF excimer (λ = 353 nm) was observed when the minimum negative ion concentration was ~10¹¹ cm^–3.