Discharge lamp lighting device

The invention relates to a device for operation of a discharge lamp in which a dielectric barrier discharge lamp can discharge with high efficiency. As claimed in the invention discharge lamp (1) of the outside electrode type or shown in (a) and (b) or a dielectric barrier discharge excimer lamp (10) shown in (c) or the like is operated by applying a lamp voltage of 1 kV to 10 kV with a periodic waveform by means of an operation circuit (5). In this lamp within bulb (3) consisting of a dielectric at least one type of rare gas is hermetically enclosed in a given amount, and a dielectric barrier is located between at least one electrode and the gas and a discharge is produced in the bulb via this dielectric barrier. The rise time or fall time of the waveform which represents the main energy supply time in the periodic waveform is fixed at greater than or equal to 0.03 mu s and less than or equal to 9 mu s. Furthermore the greatest distance between the waveforms which supply the above described energy is greater than or equal to 3.4 mu s.