Efficient KrCl (223 nm) excimer laser based on TPI thyratron as a high-voltage switch

Abstract

The results of the experimental investigations of the discharge-pumped KrCl (223 nm) excimer laser with the TPI thyratron (pseudo spark gap) as a high-voltage switch are presented. The experimental investigation of the energy and temporal parameters of the pumping and radiation for KrCl laser on the Ne:Kr:HCl mixture with an excitation system of the LC-inverter type based on TPI 10k/20 thyratron was carried out. The comparative analysis of the laser pumping and radiation parameters with those obtained for excitation system based on a spark gap RU-65 as a high-voltage switch was performed. As a result the output radiation energy for a laser with thyratron TPI 10k/20 was obtained to be of 40% higher than that with spark gap RU-65 at the same pumping conditions. The higher output energy and efficiency of the TPI based laser was considered to be due to higher efficiency of energy transfer from storage to discharge circuit and to active media owing to lower energy losses into TPI thyratron in comparison with the RU-65 spark gap. For KrCl excimer laser in Ne:Kr:HCl mixture the total efficiency of 1.5% with output energy of 0.65 J was obtained for the first time.