Abstract

This is the first reported demonstration of the use of pair-absorption transitions for optically pumping lasers. In a mixture of barium and thallium metal vapors, single-photon absorption of 3867-Å laser light caused simultaneous excitation of colliding ground-state atoms to the $\text{Ba}\hspace{0.17em}(6s6p\hspace{0.17em}{{}^{1}P}_1^{°})$ and $\text{Tl}(6p\hspace{0.17em}{{}^{2}P}_{3/2}^{°})$ excited states. Excited-state densities of about 10¹⁴ cm⁻³ were created, and subsequent laser emission on the $\text{Ba}(6s6p\hspace{0.17em}{{}^{1}P}_1^{°})\to \text{Ba}(6s5d\hspace{0.17em}{{}^{1}D}_2)$ atomic transition at 1.5 μm was observed.

© 1980 Optical Society of America

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