Applications of excimer lasers for atmospheric species measurements

Excimer lasers are proven sources of high pulse energy and high average power coherent radiation at several wavelength regions throughout the ultraviolet spectrum. If designed properly, excimer lasers can be operated with both low divergence and narrow spectral bandwidth, and using an oscillator - injection-locked amplifier configuration they can be tuned over a 10 to 20 A bandwidth without appreciable loss in energy. Additional wavelength coverage from excimer lasers can be obtained by stimulated Raman scattering. With the development of magnetic switching for the high voltage, high power switches, the electric discharge excimer laser can also be operated reliably for extended periods of time at high pulse rates. All these features make excimer lasers ideal sources of ultraviolet radiation for a variety of remote and in-situ atmospheric species measurements.