Study of XeCl and XeF lasers with combined pumping

An investigation was made of XeF and XeCl lasers excited with a discharge stabilized by a shortduration electron beam. It was found that excimer molecules are formed in the XeF laser as a consequence of ion-ion recombination and of interaction between excited Ar and Xe atoms and the halogen-bearing molecules. In the case of the XeCl laser, the highest efficiency was achieved by electron beam excitation. On applying an electric field, the discharge contributed to the emisson only when there was substantial electron multiplication.