Infrared lasers resulting from photodissociation of Cs₂ and Rb₂

Infrared laser beams at 3.095 μ. in helium-buffered cesium vapor and at 2.254 and 2.293μ in helium-buffered rubidium vapor have been produced by irradiating these gases with beams from various giant pulse lasers. The mechanism of excitation is shown to involve two-step photodissociation of Cs2 and Rb2 molecules.