Production of high-density metastable argon atoms with periodic fast pulsed DC discharge

Optically pumped metastable rare gas laser (OPRGL), as a potential high-energy laser has attracted much attention. During extensive research on OPRGL, the realization of volume discharge with high-metastable density has always been a priority and is essential to the efficient lasing of OPRGL. A large-volume plasma of He/Ar with high metastable density at atmospheric pressure can be generated by applying peaking capacitors near the electrodes. In this article, 0.8 cm³ of He/Ar plasma at a pressure of 900 mBar, with a peak value of metastable argon density higher than 10¹⁴cm^-3 was realized. The metastable density was measured by absorption spectroscopy based on the absorption bandwidths acquired at a pressure range of 400-900 mbar where a probe beam at a weak line with wavelength 772.38 nm was applied. Furthermore, the high metastable density was verified by the laterally-observed laser-induced fluorescence, as well as the laser oscillation of 100 mW under a longitudinal pumping with a short gain length of 8 mm.