Hydrogen fluoride laser is an infrared chemical laser. It is capable of delivering continuous output power in megawatt range. Image of a small dog taken in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false color) Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of microwave radiation. ... A chemical laser is a laser that obtains its energy from a chemical reaction. ...

Hydrogen fluoride laser operates at the wavelength of 2.7-2.9 µm. This wavelength is absorbed by the atmosphere, effectively attenuating the beam and reducing its reach, unless used in vacuum. However, when deuterium is used instead of hydrogen, the deuterium fluoride, which is slightly heavier than hydrogen fluoride, lases at the wavelength of about 3.8 µm. This makes the deuterium fluoride laser usable for terestrial operations. The wavelength is the distance between repeating units of a wave pattern. ... Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a stable isotope of hydrogen with a natural abundance of one atom in 6500 of hydrogen. ...

The deuterium fluoride laser constructionally resembles a rocket engine. In the combustion chamber, ethylene is burned in nitrogen trifluoride. This reaction produces free excited fluorine radicals. Just after the nozzle, the mixture of helium and hydrogen or deuterium gas is injected to the exhaust stream; the hydrogen or deuterium reacts with the fluorine radicals, producing excited molecules of deuterium or hydrogen fluoride. The excited molecules then undergo stimulated emission in the optical resonator region of the laser. R-phrases R12, R67 S-phrases S2, S9, S16, S33, S46 Flash point Flammable gas Explosive limits 2. ... Nitrogen Trifluoride, NF3, is a colorless, toxic, nonflammable, corrosive gas shipped in cylinders at high pressure. ... In chemistry, radicals (often refered to as free radicals) are atomic or molecular species with unpaired electrons or an otherwise open shell configuration. ... General Name, Symbol, Number helium, He, 2 Chemical series noble gases Group, Period, Block 18, 1, s Appearance colorless Atomic mass 4. ... General Name, Symbol, Number hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1, 1, s Appearance colorless Atomic mass 1. ... Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a stable isotope of hydrogen with a natural abundance of one atom in 6500 of hydrogen. ... Hydrofluoric acid is a highly corrosive solution of the chemical compound hydrogen fluoride in water. ... In optics, stimulated emission is the process by which, when perturbed by a photon, matter may lose energy resulting in the creation of another photon. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ...

The MIRACL laser and the Tactical High Energy Lasers are of the deuterium fluoride type. MIRACL, or Mid-Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser, is the only successful energy weapon developed by the SDI program. ... The Tactical High-Energy Laser, or THEL, is a laser developed for military use. ...