Abstract

There is today an increasing demand for laser systems generating the three primary spectral lines, blue, green, and red, a proper mixture of which can produce a wide band of colors. This is in particular due to the fast development of full color printers.¹ Since their first introduction the hollow-cathode discharge (HCD) white-light He-Cd⁺ laser has been one of the most promising candidates for such a multicolor laser system. Unfortunately, severe technological problems, such as discharge instability and lifetimes limited to hundreds of hours, have so far made this laser impractical for commercial use.

© 1988 Optical Society of America