Single-frequency operation of a long-pulse e-beam excited XeF(C-A)laser

A 1-m gain length e-beam excited XeF(C-A) excimer laser operating in a unique reimaging ring amplifier configuration has been used to amplify an ultranarrowband single-mode dye laser pulse. Double heterodyne detection was used to simultaneously determine the single-mode injection dye laser and the amplified XeF(C-A) laser bandwidths. Fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis of the pulses indicates that the amplifier output has the same bandwidth as the injected dye laser pulse. The bandwidth of the XeF(C-A) laser was line narrowed by 6 orders of magnitude, from a free running value of 16 nm (20000 GHz) to 20 MHz. Specific output energies of 0.7 J/l at 488 nm and 1.3 J/l at 476.5 nm were measured. Laser output pulse lengths up to 500 ns were observed