Pulsed chemical HF laser with a large discharge gap

Abstract

The characteristics of the radiation emitted by an electric-discharge pulsed chemical HF laser with a discharge gap of 10 cm are studied. The discharge was stabilised by a semiconducting ferroelectric ceramic layer deposited on plane metal electrodes. The specific energy and technical efficiency were 3 J L-1 and 3.4%, respectively, for a laser operating on a nonchain reaction in SF6—H2 mixture and 25 J L-1 and 26%, respectively, for a laser operating on a chain reaction in F2—O2—SF6—H2 mixture.