Coaxial Marx-Bank Driver and Flashlamp for Optical Excitation of Organic Dye Lasers

A flashlamp pumped laser system that utilizes a coaxial Marx-Bank driver circuit is described. The property of the Marx-Bank circuit, which is to charge storage capacitors in parallel but discharge them in series connection, affords the practical advantage that high applied voltages and flashlamp input energies may be attained with a relatively low dc charging voltage. The use of a coaxial flashlamp and circuit configuration minimizes total inductance so that short duration, high energy pulses efficient for dye laser excitation are obtained.