The electric oxygen-iodine laser: chemical kinetics of O2(a1&#916;) production and I(2 P1/2) excitation in microwave discharge systems

W. T. Rawlins; S. Lee; W. J. Kessler; D. B. Oakes; L. G. Piper; S. J. Davis

doi:10.1117/12.660934

23 February 2006 The electric oxygen-iodine laser: chemical kinetics of O₂(a¹Δ) production and I(² P_1/2) excitation in microwave discharge systems

W. T. Rawlins, S. Lee, W. J. Kessler, D. B. Oakes, L. G. Piper, S. J. Davis

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6101, Laser Beam Control and Applications; 61011W (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.660934
Event: Lasers and Applications in Science and Engineering, 2006, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Generation of singlet oxygen metastables, O₂(a¹Δ), in an electric discharge plasma offers the potential for development of compact electric oxygen-iodine laser (EOIL) systems using a recyclable, all-gas-phase medium. The primary technical challenge for this concept is to develop a high-power, scalable electric discharge configuration that can produce high yields and flow rates of O₂(a) to support I(²P_1/2->²P_3/2) lasing at high output power. This paper discusses the chemical kinetics of the generation of O₂(a) and the excitation of I(²P_1/2) in discharge-flow reactors using microwave discharges at low power, 40-120 W, and moderate power, 1-2 kW. The relatively high E/N of the microwave discharge, coupled with the dilution of O₂ with Ar and/or He, leads to increased O₂(a) production rates, resulting in O₂(a) yields in the range 20-40%. At elevated power, the optimum O₂(a) yield occurs at higher total flow rates, resulting in O₂(a) flow rates as large as 1 mmole/s (~100 W of O₂(a) in the flow) for 1 kW discharge power. We perform the reacting flow measurements using a comprehensive suite of optical emission and absorption diagnostics to monitor the absolute concentrations of O₂(a), O₂(b), O(³P), I₂, I(²P_3/2), I(²P_1/2), small-signal gain, and temperature. These measurements constrain the kinetics model of the system, and reveal the existence of new chemical loss mechanisms related to atomic oxygen. The results for O₂(a) production at 1 kW have intriguing implications for the scaling of EOIL systems to high power.

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W. T. Rawlins, S. Lee, W. J. Kessler, D. B. Oakes, L. G. Piper, and S. J. Davis "The electric oxygen-iodine laser: chemical kinetics of O₂(a¹Δ) production and I(² P_1/2) excitation in microwave discharge systems", Proc. SPIE 6101, Laser Beam Control and Applications, 61011W (23 February 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.660934

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