High gain and high peak power in planar waveguide lasers
We report enhanced peak power and gain for pulses in the 10-100 /spl mu/sec range, with specific peak power to 240 kW m/sup -2/ of electrode area at frequencies to 4 kHz. Pulsed small signal gain is increased by a factor of 7 relative to cw/long pulse excitation.
Enhanced peak power and short pulse operation of planar waveguide CO2 lasers
We report a large peak power enhancement and reduction in pulse width for planar waveguide carbon dioxide lasers. Gain modulation through rf discharge power switching produces trains of laser pulses with peak power levels at up to 38 times the cw power level, with a pulse duration as low as 10 μs. Operation at repetition rates in the kHz region preserves the average power (100 W) of the normal cw/long pulse mode of operation. The laser is shown to operate close to the predicted boundaries dictated by thermal loading of the discharge.
The characteristics and stability of high power transverse radio frequency discharges for waveguide CO2 slab laser excitation
The electrical features of a high power alpha-mode RF discharge at 125 MHz are investigated experimentally. An equivalent circuit description of the discharge is presented and a theoretical model proposed which accounts for the role of the near-electrode capacitive ion sheaths in stabilizing the discharge plasma region, and explains the increased overall discharge stability at high excitation frequencies.