An experimental study on ultrafast lamps for an ultraviolet solid state laser

In this work we present an accurate experimental study of Xenon filled flash-lamps developed to achieve a fast submicrosecond light pulse with high emission in the ultraviolet (UV) spectral range. This study has been initiated to obtain an efficient pump for solid state lasers with Ce3+ activated crystal as active medium. For Ce3+ doped fluorides the absorption bands lie in the UV spectrum, in the region between 248 and 288nm. Due to the very short lifetime (-4Ons) of the upper level ofthe laser transition (5d->4f), Cerium activated hosts must be pumped with a fast rising light pulse.To our best knowledge, no direct ultraviolet laser action from a Ce3+ activated host with incoherent pumping has been reported. To achieve a threshold population inversion, an unusually fast lamp pulse is required making necessary the development of a lamp system opposite to what it is usually required in terms of duration and stability. We present here a detailed characterization of the lamp and ofthe discharge circuit parameters. Furthermore we discuss the opportunity to use an excimer mixture or a Silicon-Xenon based gas mixture to optimize the spectral coupling of lamp emission to the active medium adsorption.