Comparing laser induced plasmas formed in diode and excimer pumped alkali lasers.

Lasing on the D-1 transition (6(2)P(1/2) -> 6(2)S(1/2)) of cesium can be reached in both diode and excimer pumped alkali lasers. The first uses D-2 transition (6(2)P(1/2) -> 6(2)S(3/2)) for pumping, whereas the second is pumped by photoexcitation of ground state Cs-Ar collisional pairs and subsequent dissociation of diatomic, electronically-excited CsAr molecules (excimers). Despite lasing on the same D-1 transition, differences in pumping schemes enables chemical pathways and characteristic timescales unique for each system. We investigate unavoidable plasma formation during operation of both systems side by side in Ar/C2H6/Cs. (C) 2018 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement