Rare gas resonance lamps having high spectral purity, high intensity, and long lifetimes have successfully been manufactured. The design and filling procedure for these lamps is described in detail. Particular operational characteristics of the xenon, krypton, argon, neon, and helium resonance lamps are also given. Windows suitable for use with each of these lamps are described, with particular emphasis given to the procedure for fabricating thin aluminum windows for use with neon and helium lamps. In addition, a method for determining extinction coefficients and ionization quantum yields based on the measurement of saturation ion currents is described.