Abstract

Vacuum ultraviolet emission from liquid rare gases has previously been observed following α-partlcle¹ and e-beam² excitation. Stimulated emission of e-beam-pumped ${\text{Xe}}_2^{\ast }$ has also been previously reported.³ We have used high-power excimer lasers to couple large amounts of energy (100-500 mJ in a 10-nsec pulse) into liquid-rare gas mixtures. Resonant and near-resonant multiphoton absorption and ionization by the rare gases have provided a means for accessing excited states of the rare gas molecules using conventional window materials and optics. The emission spectrum shown in Fig. 1 is an example of the results of one such experiment.

© 1981 Optical Society of America