Ammonia laser with a raster and light-guide pump system

An ammonia (NH₃) laser with a specific output energy up to 12 J/liter was constructed. A special feature was intense spatially homogeneous pumping achieved by combining a focusing-prism raster and a light guide of square cross section. Frequency-tunable stimulated emission was achieved in a wide range of pressures of an ammonia-nitrogen mixture (from 1 to 760 Torr) with an efficiency up to 10%, as well as in an ammonia-air mixture.