High-Brightness Excimer Lasers

Abstract

In most of the high-intensity experiments, it is the focused intensity that has to be considered as the major figure of merit for the performance of the pump-laser system. This is the point where the better focusability of short-wavelength gas lasers becomes a dominant advantage over long wavelength solid-state systems. The minimum focal spot area is 10–100 times smaller for excimer systems, provided by the shorter wavelength and by less optical distortion in the gaseous active medium. Therefore short-pulse excimer lasers are the best candidates to produce the highest focused intensities, especially when the problem of their limited extraction efficiency is solved, and the present performance of short-wavelength focusing optics is improved.