Spatially Resolved Modeling And Measurements Of Metastable Argon Atoms In Argon-Helium Microplasmas

Microwave-driven plasmas operating near atmospheric pressure have been shown to be a promising technique for producing the high density of argon metastable atoms required for optically pumped rare gas laser systems. Stable microwave-driven plasmas can be generated at high pressures using microstrip-based resonator circuits. We present results from computational modeling and laser absorption measurements of argon metastable densities in such plasmas operating in argon-helium gas mixtures at pressures up to 300 Torr. The model and measurements resolve the plasma characteristics both perpendicular to the substrate surface and along the resonator length. The measurements qualitatively and in many aspects quantitatively confirm the accuracy of the model. The plasmas exhibit distinct behaviors depending on whether the operating gas is mostly argon or mostly helium. In high-argon plasmas, the metastable density has a large peak value but is confined very closely to the electrode surfaces as well as being reduced near the discharge gap itself. In contrast, metastable densities in high helium-fraction mixtures extend through most of the plasma. In all systems, increasing the power extends the region of metastable along the resonator length, while the extent away from the substrate surface remains approximately constant. Published by AIP Publishing.