A small tunable optically pumped far infrared laser

A small diameter CW FIR laser that can provide approximately 100 MHz spectrally pure tunability has been developed and studied both experimentally and theoretically (1). Operation of this laser at pressures significantly greater than the maximum allowed by previously accepted theory yields the large tunability. The new model includes additional high energy vibrational states and appropriate energy transfer mechanisms that fundamentally alter the behavior in the high pressure, high pump intensity regime. Although 13CH3F is used for both the experimental demonstration and the theoretical model, the concept is general and should apply to all diffusion deactivated FIR lasers.