This paper presents the results of a study of how the lasing characteristics of an electric-discharge XeCl excimer laser depend on the systems for exciting the active medium, the composition of the gas mixture, and various types of selective and unstable cavities. Some applications of lasers that have been developed with a narrow line and small radiation divergence are demonstrated. (C) 2000 The Optical Society of America. [S1070-9762(00)00811-3].