Performance characteristics of a discharge-pumped XeCl laser driven by a pulse forming network containing nonlinear ferroelectric capacitors

Abstract

The performance characteristics of a small-scale discharge pumped XeC1 laser that is driven by a new type of nonlinear pulse forming network, are described. The network contains nonlinear ferroelectric capacitors and is switched by a glass thyratron whose switching capabilities would not normally be fast enough to drive the laser efficiently. The network is capable of providing both a fast voltage rise-time across the discharge electrodes and a fast rate of rise of discharge current. This type of pulse forming network could provide the best method of achieving the optimum driving conditions for this type of laser, and may be of importance not only to excimer lasers but to a wide range of high power lasers which are pumped by pulsed electrical discharges.