High-power, high-throughput microwave discharge singlet oxygen generator for advanced electrical oxygen-iodine lasers

A method for providing laser output, comprising:

• directing a flow of ground state oxygen and a substantially inert gas into a microwave cavity to produce energetic singlet oxygen metastables;
• optimizing discharge power and gas flow rate to produce a selected amount of the energetic singlet oxygen metastables;
• and
• directing a flow of a third gas to react with the selected amount of the energetic singlet oxygen metastables to form an excited species in an amount sufficient to support lasing of the excited species in an optical resonator disposed relative to the microwave cavity.

An apparatus for providing laser output, comprising:

• means for directing a flow of ground state oxygen and a substantially inert gas into a microwave cavity to produce energetic singlet oxygen metastables;
• means for optimizing discharge power and gas flow rate to produce a selected amount of the energetic singlet oxygen metastables;
• and
• means for directing a flow of a third gas to react with the selected amount of the energetic singlet oxygen metastables to form an excited species in an amount sufficient to support lasing of the excited species in an optical resonator disposed relative to the microwave cavity.