Efficient long pulse TE-CO2 laser using magnetic-spiker sustainer excitation

Abstract

Long pulse operation of a multijoule transverse-electric-CO2 laser using a magnetic-spiker sustainer excitation in conjunction with a pulse forming network is described. The laser has produced 4.5 J in a 5 μs long pulse at a high efficiency of ∼10% from an active discharge volume of 416 cm3. The overall system is simple and reliable.

A novel method of measuring the delay between pre-ionizing and main discharges in TE gas lasers

“…The initial photoelectron density was fully exploited in order to obtain a glow discharge by placing the preionizer system very close to the main discharge electrodes and 0957-0233/01/101739+04$30.00 © 2001 IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK having a short delay between the pre-ionizing discharge and the main discharge which was built into the circuit. Although some researchers tend to believe that there is an automatic delay between the pre-ionizing discharge and the main discharge [13,14] lying within 50-100 ns [7,11] in such a configuration, there exists only one report each to theoretically [15] and experimentally [7] substantiate this belief. The experimental technique of measuring such a small delay by following the conventional method of probing the large pulse currents of the two discharges is also prone to error, as is evident from the work of Norris and Smith [7].…”