I have to agree with Richard's basic assessment. First of all, lasers rely on transitions between electron energy levels. In order to produce laser light, you must produce a population inversion between two laser levels. Even if you could get the electrons to stick around somehow, the gas would still be at thermal equilibrium, which will not support laser action.
There are lasers that work on a gas at thermal equilibrium, but they involve expanding the gas at supersonic speeds into a vacuum. This sudden pressure/temperature drop causes the population inversion.
Clay
Created on Wednesday, April 04, 2001 11:42 AM EDT by Clay G Codner