Short pulse formation in a TEA CO2 laser using a CO2 — N2 — H2 gas mixture

Abstract

The use of an optimal CO2 — N2 — H2 gas mixture with a high concentration of hydrogen (30% — 40%) was shown to allow the formation of high-power TEA CO2-laser pulses with a base duration of ~ 200 ns whose energy and peak power significantly exceed the parameters of pulses obtained in binary CO2 — H2 mixtures. Considering all the parameters, the helium-free 56% CO2 — 14% N2 — 30% H2 gas mixture at a pressure of 0.7 atm is optimal for the generation of short high-power pulses in the TEA CO2 laser. A small addition of nitrogen ([CO2]/[N2] ~ 10 — 12) to the binary CO2 — H2 mixture not only substantially increases the pulse energy and peak power (by a factor of 3 — 3.5) but also shortens their duration at half-maximum with retention of the total (base) duration.