Comparison of two new microwave plasma sources for HF chemical lasers

The performances of two microwave sources used to produce fluorine atoms by dissociation of SF6for a CW hydrogen fluoride chemical laser are compared. The first device, large microwave plasma (LMP), is a slow-wave structure while, the other (surfatron) excites a plasma surface wave. Their performances, as far as electrical and chemical efficiencies are concerned, are quite similar when operated at the same microwave power level. However, the slow-wave structure can sustain higher microwave power, providing larger laser output power, while the surfatron has much smaller dimensions, allowing for a more compact laser system.