Electric-discharge CO2 Laser Research Articles

High-pressure electric-discharge CO2laser

An investigation was made of an electric-discharge CO2 laser with a volume preionization by an auxiliary discharge through a a dielectric. A low-resistance circuit was used to supply the main discharge. Stimulated emission was observed at pressures up to 13 atm in the mixture. The spectral composition of the output radiation and the nature of its pulsations were investigated as a function of the pressure and composition of the mixture. Consideration was given to the possibility of constructing continuously tunable and highpower lasers on the basis of the method described.

Improved convective flow longitudinal discharge CO laser

Specific extraction efficiencies of 300 W g−1 sec−1 have been obtained with flow-stabilized electrodes in a longitudinal electric discharge CO laser, representing a 50% enhancement over previous results.

Tunable resonator with a mirror of variable curvature

A variable-curvature mirror, deformed by the application of a concentrated load at its center, was developed. It was established that the deflected surface was nearly spherical. This mirror was used in a search for the optimal variant of the resonator of an electric-discharge CO2 laser. The mode composition was studied using either a germanium exit mirror or metallized mirrors with central apertures of different diameters.

Numerical Modelling of Pulsed Electric CO2 Lasers

A simple four-level kinetics model is combined with a cavity intensity model to predict the output pulse characteristics of pulsed electric discharge CO2 lasers for pressures ranging from 0.1 to 10 atm. Both free-running (gain-switched) and Q-switched cases are studied. Particular emphasis is placed on peak intensity and energy content of the initial spike as a function of pumping rate, gain at time of Q swithcing, mixture, and pressure.

GASDYNAMIC LASER WITH A HIGH WATER VAPOR CONTENT

A shock-tube investigation was made of a gasdynamic CO2?H2O?N2 laser. The gas mixture escaped through a slit. A probing beam, produced by a separate electricdischarge CO2 laser, was used to study the gasdynamic laser. The parameters of the gaseous mixture, heated by a reflected shock wave, were T5 = 1300?2250?K and p5=5?88 atm. The main task was to establish whether population inversion could be achieved in the case of high water content in the active mixture of the gasdynamic laser when the [H2O] concentration was comparable with the [CO2] concentration. Gain was observed right up to [H2O]/ [CO2] = 1 for a mixture with [N2]/[CO2]=4 at T5=2250?K and p5=22 atm. In this case the maximum gain was observed at a distance of 25 mm from the slit and it amounted to 0.4?10?2 cm?1.