The temperature dependence of the CH3F far infrared laser output

The output power of an optically pumped far infrared waveguide laser has been measured for the laser gas CH3F between -100 and +100°C. At -30°C, an enhancement by a factor of about 3.5 over room-temperature operation has been found. The experimental data are compared with a recent theoretical treatment; the output power drops more rapidly than predicted towards both high and low temperature.