Double-short-pulse CO2 laser with double longitudinal discharge tubes

Abstract

A double-longitudinal-discharge-tube system was employed in a CO2 laser producing double short pulses. The CO2 laser consisted of two longitudinal discharge tubes and one optical cavity. A pulsed power supply was connected to each discharge tube, and the switching timing of the pulsed power supplies was controlled by a pulse generator. Therefore, each discharge tube could be discharged at arbitrary timing, and two laser pulses with arbitrary pulse intervals could be generated. In a discharge interval of 2 μs to 50 ms for the two discharge tubes, double laser pulses were produced. The pulse width of the first laser pulse was 256 ns. The pulse width of the second laser pulse was 160–976 ns. The pulse width, peak intensity and energy of the second laser pulse depended on the discharge interval, in a discharge interval of 5 ms or less. The second laser pulse was affected by the first discharge space that produced the first laser pulse.