Method for Determining Cross Sections of Excitation Transfer in Collisions with Atoms of Rare-earth Metals. 2. Application of the Method.

The values of 13 partial and 15 effective cross sections of excitation transfer in Dy–Dy, Tm–Er, Tm–Tm, and Tm–He collisions are estimated. The active media of Dy, Tm, and Er–Tm vapor lasers with buffer gas He were used as collisional ones. The determination of the cross sections is based on the fact of collisional population of the upper laser levels from close-lying resonant levels excited by electron impact in discharge. The quantities required for calculating the cross sections were determined from the laser medium parameters. The partial cross sections of collisional excitation transfer, depending on the excitation cross sections of resonant levels, type of collisions and energy defect between resonant and upper laser levels, are ∼10^–16–10^–14 cm², whereas the effective cross sections are ∼10^–18–10^–15 cm². [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]