Efficient high-power CH3F 496-μm laser systems

Many different configurations, both cw and pulsed, have been reported for a 496-μm CH3F laser optically pumped with a CO2 laser; however, none as yet has both the high efficiency and good beam quality required for plasma diagnostics applications.1-4 Simple superradiant geometries using multimode TEA CO2 lasers have produced peak powers > 1 MW, but in pulses with subnanosecond structure.2 Complicated cavity geometries have yielded smooth pulses but only at lower powers, and both methods have a photon conversion efficiency (number of 496-μm quanta/number of CO2 quanta absorbed) of only ~5%.