Enhanced laser cooling of CO2–Xe gas using „0200... excitation

Laser irradiation with a 9.6 m wavelength resonant with the 0200 level improves the anti-Stokes cooling of CO2 gas. Excitation of the 0200 level increases cooling by producing a larger population of 0001 , despite the higher-energy photon absorption, compared to a 1000 level excitation. Further selection of macroconditions temperature, pressure, Xe diluent atomic fraction, and geometric parameters enhances cooling by reducing parasite gas conduction through slower thermal energy transport and increasing the nonequilibrium population of the excited 0001 level by fast species diffusion and small collisional relaxation. We include reabsorption, and then find the conditions for optimal cooling. © 2009 American Institute of Physics. doi:10.1063/1.3273488