Simplified model of generation for CW oxygen-iodine laser

The calculated and experimental data on the power efficiency of a cw oxygen-iodine laser (OIL) are analysed based on two similarity criteria, namely, on the ratio of the residence time of the gas mixture in the cavity to the characteristic time of extraction of the energy stored in singlet oxygen at an infinite intraresonator intensity and on the gain-to-loss ratio. It is shown that the simplified single-frequency two-level (SFTL) lasing model satisfactorily predicts the output characteristics of OILs with a stable cavity at Ƴd ≤ 6. Effective power extraction from the OIL active medium is achieved in the case of Ƴd = 4 - 6, П = 3 - 8.