The dynamical processes responsible for laser emission in the pulsed pumping of a transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) CO2 laser are investigated. An explanation for the formation of the giant pulse is proposed on the basis of a gain-switching mechanism in which it is assumed that with short strong-current pulses a high population inversion can be achieved prior to the onset of laser action. The kinetics of the mechanism are described by means of a set of nonlinear rate equations idealized to a four-energy-state system. With suitable initial conditions on the populations, the transient solution of these equations for the mixtures CO2–He and CO–N2–He appears to be consistent with the major features of experimental observation.
An investigation has been made of the spontaneous self-locking of axial modes in a transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) CO 2 laser of helical geometry. Laser emission was found to consist of O. 5-l'sec bursts of short periodiC pulsations typically 5 nsec in duration with peak powers in the megawatt range. Reproducible pulsating patterns have been achieved with the use of SFs acting as mode selector in the optical resonator.
Passive mode-locking of a double-discharge TEA CO2 laser using SF6 as bleachable absorber has been achieved on several rot–vib transitions of the 00°1–10°0 band. Stable pulses shorter than 2 ns and having peak powers in the 100–200 MW range have been regularly obtained. The experimental conditions and operating characteristics of the laser required to achieve stability are described.
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