Optically-pumped group IIB atomic vapor lasers emitting at discrete wavelengths shorter than 230 nm are disclosed. This laser device utilizes an active medium comprising a mixture of a group IIB atomic vapor and one or more buffer gases placed within a doubly-resonant optical cavity that enables the realization of a population inversion between the first .sup.1P.sub.1 level and the .sup.1S.sub.0 ground level of the group IIB atoms. The laser may operate in a pure continuous-wave mode, or in a high-repetition pulsed mode, at DUV wavelengths of .about.185 nm (mercury), .about.229 nm (cadmium) and .about.214 nm (zinc).