Abstract

By inner-shell photoionization of Hg vapor with soft x rays from a laser-produced plasma, the energetically high-lying metastable 5d⁹6s² levels in the Hg ion are selectively populated and a two-photon inversion with respect to the ion ground state (configuration 5d¹⁰6s) is generated. The metastable population is then transferred with dye-laser radiation at 399 nm to the 5d¹⁰6p level, resulting in a strong radiative emission at 165 nm into the ion ground state. For this anti-Stokes–Raman-type pumping scheme evidence for stimulated processes is found.

© 1991 Optical Society of America

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