The parameters of a periodic-pulse planar CO2-laser pumped by microwave (MW) discharge at a frequency of 2.45
GHz have been studied experimentally. The laser comes in two versions with longitudinal discharge- gap lengths of
250 (version A) and 470 (version B) mm. An average output power of 60 W could be achieved at a wavelength of
10.6 μm. The peak output power in the periodic-pulse mode of operation is about 1300 W. The shape and energy of
the laser pulse have been investigated as a function of nput power, working mixture composition, pressure,
repetition frequency and duration of microwave pumping pulses.
Radiation characteristics of planar diffusion-cooled CO2- and CO-lasers created using the same design and excited by a
RF discharge at a frequency of 40 MHz have been studied. A single-mode cw lasing power of ~ 100 W has been
achieved with an efficiency of ~ 10 % for a CO2-laser with a diffraction-limited radiation divergence of 4 - 7 mrad. For a
CO-laser with electrode temperature of -65 °C, a cw output power of 60 W with an efficiency of ~ 10% has been
achieved in the wavelength range 5.3 - 6.0 μm.
In this paper reported are the experimental results of investigations the compact planar MW excited CO2-laser. A
breadboard model of the planar CO2-laser excited by a wide-aperture MW discharge of 2x25x250 mm size at a
frequency 2.45 GHz was elaborated and constructed. The model includes the following basic components: a primary
power supply of a magnetron 2M-130, a microwave waveguide, a planar gas-discharge system, and optical-cavity unit.
The optical resonator consisted of two plane mirrors, which were placed 2.5 mm from waveguide. Test experiments were
carried out with a repetitive uniform MW discharge with 20 ms pulse duration, 0.4-7.0 kHz repetition frequency at
level of the input MW power up to 7 kW per pulse. Average laser output power of 25 W (peak power up 580 W) and
operating efficiency of 13% at gas pressure of 30 Torr were obtained without optimization of all laser parameters.
Performance of a planar cw CO2-laser excited by RF waves at two fixed frequencies of 40 and 125 MHz is studied. A laser output power of 100 W and efficiency about 10% have been achieved, and the influence of the excitation frequency has been studied. The hybrid waveguide-unstable optical resonators were used in the planar laser.
A breadboard model of a planar CO2 laser excited by a wide-aperture microwave discharge of size 2×20×250 mm was elaborated and constructed. Test experiments were carried out with a repetitive uniform microwave discharge with pulse duration of 10-50 μs, repetition frequency of 0.1-10 kHz at a level of the input microwave power of 1.8 kW per pulse and an average power up to 300 W. The spatial structure of the microwave discharge at pressures up to 50 Torr of the laser gas mixture is studied.
A 40 MHz RF discharge excited planar cw CO2 laser with the near diffraction limited output power up to 50 W and the efficiency of 8.5% is studied. Two schemes of the hybrid resonators as positive, as negative branches of the stability diagram are used. The output power and spatial characteristics of the laser beam are studied for both the resonator cavities.
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