Copper bromide vapour laser with an output pulse duration of up to 320 ns

Abstract

We report the development of a copper bromide vapour laser with an output pulse duration of up to . To lengthen the pulse, the discharge current was limited using a compound switch comprising a pulsed hydrogen thyratron and a tacitron. This technique permits limiting the excitation of the working levels at the initial stage of the discharge development to lengthen the inversion lifetime. The longest duration of a laser pulse was reached in tubes 25 and in diameter for a pulse repetition rate of .