Generation of singlet oxygen for an oxygen–iodine laser in a radio-frequency discharge

The generation of singlet oxygen (SO) in a radio-frequency discharge (13.56 MHz) in the gas flow was investigated experimentally and theoretically. The oxygen pressure was varied from 2 to 20 Torr and the energy deposition in gas from 10 to 2000 J mmol^-1. The saturation of the SO concentration with increasing the energy deposition was shown to arise from the three-body process of SO quenching by atomic oxygen. Removing atomic oxygen allowed a 2.5-fold increase in the ultimate SO concentration at the discharge output. For an oxygen pressure of 15 Torr, the SO fraction amounts to 10%.