A small photoswitched TEA CO2 laser has been developed. This small aperture, low repetition rate laser can produce 69 mJ optical pulses from a discharge volume of 12.5cm3, with an energy efficiency of 11.1%. This energy efficiency is the highest so far reported with such lasers. Corona UV sources driven by a simple inexpensive solid state exciter are used to trigger the discharge. Also demonstrated is the wider input energy loading and enhanced discharge stability provided by overvolting the laser head.

A compact externally heated discharge tube of 25-mm internal diameter is described. The oven made of alumina tube, tungsten heater, and graphite felt insulation, takes about 45 min at 1.5-kW heater input power to reach temperatures in excess of 1500 °C. Its use with a copper vapor laser is demonstrated. The laser gives output power of 500 mW at 500-Hz repetition rate.

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A corona preionized pulser-sustainer, transverse, electric, atmospheric CO2 laser has been developed. This small-aperture laser can produce 180 mJ optical pulses of 5 mu s duration from a discharge volume of 15.6 cm2 with an efficiency of 12.4%. The laser was driven by a simple inexpensive solid-state exciter.

A capacitor-charging circuit providing high-voltage gain, inherent command-charge capability, and high efficiency is proposed. It can be used in high average-power laser pulsers as well as in thyratron trigger-generator circuits at low-power levels. It offers simple and compact means of varying the charging voltage on a capacitor. Unlike conventional command-resonant chargers, where the cathode of the switch is floated at high potential, a high-voltage switch is not required in the charging path in the proposed scheme. Operation of this circuit is described at 5 kHz with a voltage gain of 20.