Preferential excitation and enhanced emission of Pb atoms following detonation of lead azide

Preferential excitation of the 3P°1 state of the lead atom and enhanced emission in the Pb(3P°1Pb(3P°1→1D2) transition at 722.9 nm have been observed following the detonation of lead azide, Pb(N3)2. The detonation is initiated by a short laser pulse and the products are expanded through a supersonic nozzle. It is suggested that the enhanced emission is due to preferential excitation of Pb(3P°1) via energy transfer from electronically excited N2 combined with the effect of self‐trapping of the emission from 3P°1 to the 3P0,1,2 states. The implications to short‐wavelength chemical lasers are discussed.