High-Power Co2 Electric Discharge Mixing Laser

An electric discharge mixing laser is described in which N2 is vibrationally excited in an electrical discharge and then mixed with cold CO2 providing a population inversion and, consequently, lasing action at 10.6μ in a high-pressure high-flow speed channel. Convection is the principle heat removal mechanism, permitting system operation at power densities substantially higher than in conventional wall-dominated electric discharge lasers. Results of experiments with a 30-cm-wide by 1.2-cm-high EDML channel are described. With this system, small-signal gain coefficients of 4.3% cm−1 and optical powers of up to 900 W at 11% efficiency have been obtained at a pressure of 48 Torr.