FAR-INFRARED LASER LINES PRODUCED BY METHANOL AND ITS ISOTOPIC-SPECIES - A REVIEW

Methanol (CH3OH) is considered today one of the most important active media for the generation of laser radiation in the far-infrared (FIR) spectral region. Together with ten of its other isotopic species, it is responsible for the major part of the laser lines generated by the optical pumping technique. Due to the extreme importance of those molecules as laser generators, we understood that there was a necessity of a comprehensive work which would include as much pratical information as possible about each line. Chang et al(1) early recognized methanol as a source of strong FIR laser lines. Since then, more than 100 papers were published containing information about new laser emission. Recently, Moruzzi et al(114) presented a review of 575 lines produced by ''CH,OH. In the present paper, we have extended the review to the various isotopic modifications of this molecule (namely (CH3OH)-C13, CD3OH, (CD3OH)-C-13, CD3OD, (CD3OD)-C-13, CH3OD, (CH3OH)-O-18, CH2DOH, CH2DOD and CHD2OH), a total of nearly 2000 lines with wavelengths ranging from 19 mum to 3030 mum.