Excitation efficiency of working transitions in copper-vapor lasers

The conditions under which the influence of the discharge circuitry inductance on the efficiency of pulsed-periodic copper-vapor lasers is weak are determined. It is shown that for efficient pumping of the lasing transitions of Cu atom in these lasers it is advisable to form an excitation pulse having steep edges of the voltage applied to the discharge tube with the duration spanning the pumping period and termination of the lasing process providing, at the same time, the conditions for aperiodic behavior of the discharge during the excitation pulse. Such a pumping pulse can be formed due to a partial discharge of the storage capacitor in the laser discharge circuit. It is also shown that under such conditions of excitation the efficiency of copper-vapor laser (CVL) with respect to the energy pumped into the active element can reach 10%.     

Pulsed-periodic laser on RM helium and strontium transitions

Conditions of generation of a running excitation wave in the active medium of gas lasers and efficiency of the running wave application for pumping of the active medium are considered by the example of a strontium vapor laser. It is demonstrated that the running excitation wave is generated directly in the active laser medium and is supported by the energy stored in the capacitive component of the impedance of a gas-discharge tube. Generation on the self-limited (2¹P₁-2¹S₀) transition of the helium atom at λ = 2058 nm and simultaneous generation on RM transitions of the strontium ion and strontium and helium atoms and on a number of neon atom transitions is first excited. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 6–9, January, 2008.     

Pulsed lasers operating by the atomic transitions of inert gases on pumping by a self-sustained transverse discharge

This paper presents the results of experimental studies of lasing by the atomic transitions of inert gases in mixtures ofHe−NF ₃ (λ=706.5 nm),Ne−NF ₃ (585.3 nm), andAr−NF ₃ (750.4 nm). It has been shown that when an inert-gas-halide mixture is excited by a self-sustained discharge, the electronegative gas provides depopulation of the lower laser level and simultaneously increases the pumping efficiency. Based on investigations of the spontaneous emission and lasing, on measurements of the density and temperature of the gas-discharge plasma electrons, and on an analysis of the process rates, it is concluded that the processes of electron excitation play a dominant role in the population of the upper laser level. Institute of High-Current Electronics, Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 60–63, April, 2000.     

Alternate oscillations of self-terminating and recombination lasers in univalent calcium and strontium ions

The univalent calcium and strontium ions have been confirmed as ideal lasing substances both for self-terminating laser and recombination laser by theoretically analysing their energy level structures and lasing mechanisms. With the optimization of the excitation circuit and the improvement of the laser cavity as well as the laser discharge tube, thealternate laser oscillatlons of the two laser mechanisms were suceessfully realized by longitudinal pulsed discharge in mixture vapours of helium and univalent ions of calcium or strontium, respectively. The dependences of laser performance on working parameters, together with the characteristics of the photoelectric pulse waveforms were elementally studied and analysed.     

High power high repetition rate pulsed collisional laser using a He + Eu+ mixture

Studies have been made of the properties of an ionized europium collision laser with=1002 nm in the 1.5 to 6 kW range of pumping powers. For this purpose, a gas-discharge tube made of BeO ceramic, 50 cm long and 2.7 cm diameter was used. The pulse repetition rate ranged from 2 to 10 kHz at a pumping duration of 400 ns.For helium pressures in the range of 0.3 to 1 atm, the efficiency and laser power increases faster than the concentration of helium atoms. At the atmospheric pressure of helium, the optimal lasing conditions are as follows: discharge current amplitude 150 A, the europium vapour pressure corresponds to 640 to 660° C and is dependent on the discharge current. The laser efficiency is independent of the pulse repetition rate in the 3 to 9 kHz range.The maximum laser power achieved was 12.7 W atF=9.5 kHz, and the efficiency amounted to 0.21%, whereas at 11.8 W andF=6.5 kHz the maximum efficiency was 0.24%. The dynamic efficiency of the laser reached 0.4%.     

Mutual influence of the gas-discharge conditions in a thyratron and in the active element of a metal-vapor laser

The effectiveness of pulsed-periodic excitation of a metal-vapor laser is investigated experimentally as a function of the relative conditions in the gas-discharge gaps of the commutator and the gas-discharge tube (GDT) of the laser. It is found that, with increase in hydrogen pressure in a commutator operating on the left-hand side of the Paschen curve, the pulsed generation energy of the laser is mainly determined by the buffer-gas pressure in the GDT, other conditions being equal; with decrease in the gas pressure in the GDT, it is determined by the hydrogen pressure in the commutator. It is concluded that, other conditions being equal, the effectiveness of such lasers is mainly determined by the relative conditions in the gas-discharge gaps of the commutator and in the GDT and also by the ratio of the reactive, active, and time parameters in all cells of the shaping line when a line with nonlinear magnetic compression cells is used. The energy balance of the pumping system with the line is analyzed from the viewpoint of optimizing the pumping efficiency of metal-vapor lasers. Institute of Atmospheric Optics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 77–80, January, 1997.     

Supersonic flow of a nonequilibrium gas-discharge plasma around a body

The flow of a nonequilibrium gas-discharge plasma around a semicylindrical body is studied. The aim of the study is to see how a change in the degree of nonequilibrium of the incoming plasma changes the separation distance between a shock wave and the body. Experiments are carried out with a supersonic nozzle into which a semicylindrical body is placed. The inlet of the nozzle is connected to a shock tube. In the course of the experiment, electrodes built into the wall of the nozzle initiate a gas discharge in front of the body to produce an additional nonequilibrium ionization in the stationary incoming supersonic flow. The discharge parameters are selected such that the discharge raises the electron temperature and still minimizes heating of the gas. The degree of nonequilibrium of the flow varies with gas-discharge current. Diagnostics of the flow is carried out with a schlieren system based on a semiconductor laser. The system can record flow patterns at definite time instants after discharge initiation.     

Beam-plasma mechanism for anode plasma generation in a low-pressure two-stage self-sustained discharge with a cold hollow cathode

Results are presented from experimental studies of the anode region of a low-pressure two-stage self-sustained discharge with a closed cold hollow cathode. It is shown that applying an external longitudinal magnetic field promotes the generation of a dense anode plasma, whereas the transverse field impedes this generation. It is established that the beam-plasma mechanism for plasma generation plays a dominant role in the anode region of the discharge. The geometry of the electrodes of the gas-discharge chamber is optimized.     

CuBr-Ne-HBr laser with a high repetition frequency of the lasing pulses at a reduced energy deposition in the discharge

Experimental and computer studies of the CuBr laser with periodic-pulse pumping are performed with and without addition of HBr. The analysis based on the numerical simulation reveals how additions improve the lasing characteristics of this laser at both typical (10 to 20 kHz) and higher (up to 100 kHz) excitation pulse repetition frequencies during the operation with a low energy deposition in the discharge. This allows the lasing pulse repetition frequency to be increased in the experiment to 750 kHz, which does not seem to be a limit as yet.     

CW Cu II laser in a hollow anode-cathode discharge

CW laser operation on near infrared transitions of Cu II was investigated in a high voltage hollow cathode discharge tube of 19 cm active length. The high voltage was obtained by a special anode system placed inside the cathode. Threshold current for the strongest 7808 Å laser line was 0.4 A. At a discharge current of 2.4 A a multiline output power of 30 mW was obtained on six transitions between 7404 and 7896 Å.     

Prospects for Further Development of Self-Heated Lasers on the Self-Contained Transitions of a Copper Atom

An analysis of the causes restricting the frequency–energy characteristics of a copper vapor laser is carried out. The principal cause of the restriction is shown to be the high deexcitation rate of the higher laser levels into the ionized state. This involves a strong increase in the expenditures of energy for the population inversion with a rise in the electron density before the pulse and a high $Q$ factor of the discharge circuit at the end of the exciting pulse. The high Q factor of the discharge circuit is responsible for the oscillatory process of energy dissipation within the time spacing between pulses. This energy is stored in the reactive component of impedance of the discharge tube during the excitation pulse. The oscillatory dissipation defines a slow relaxation of the lower laser levels within the time spacing between the pulses. Analysis of the conditions of population inversion formation in a copper vapor laser shows that the active medium should be pumped in a two-pulse excitation mode to realize the energy potential of the laser of 1–2 kW/liter. The advantages of such an excitation mode over the traditional single-pulse excitation are confirmed.     

Comparative studies of eye-safe intracavity and extracavity optical parametric oscillators with an unstable telescopic cavity

We have experimentally studied the lasing characteristics of an eye-safe optical parametric oscillator (OPO) with an unstable telescopic cavity when it is placed inside (intracavity OPO) and outside (extracavity OPO) the plane-parallel cavity of a pulsed, nearly single-mode KGW:Nd pump laser. We used a KTP crystal as the nonlinear medium for the OPO. We have shown that the intracavity OPO has the higher lasing efficiency. We have observed that the distribution of nonlinear losses introduced by the intracavity OPO, nonuniform over the cavity cross section, leads to an increase in the diameter and divergence of the radiation beam from the pump laser and a dependence of its temporal lasing dynamics on the transverse beam coordinate. We propose a physical model qualitatively explaining the spatial and temporal lasing dynamics of a radiation source with an intracavity OPO. Both OPO versions generate beams of radiation with about the same divergence. When the KGW:Nd laser has an electrical pumping energy of 7.3 J and a cavity length of 77 cm, the intracavity OPO and the extracavity OPO emit pulses with energies of 14.5 mJ and 12.0 mJ and duration 18 nsec and 13 nsec respectively. The divergence of the eye-safe radiation (λ = 1.578 μm) at 86.5% of the total pulse energy is no greater than 5.5 mrad for an OPO output beam diameter of = 2 mm. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 4, pp. 535–543, July–August, 2006.     

Investigation of a copper-vapor laser pumped by trains of damped sine pulses

A copper-vapor laser the lasing medium of which is pumped by damped sine voltage pulses is studied experimentally. It is shown that this laser can operate at megahertz lasing pulse repetition rates. Each current pulse in a train of damped sine excitation pulses generates a lasing pulse. The time between lasing pulses is no more than 224 ns, which corresponds to a lasing pulse repetition rate of more than 4.5 MHz. According to estimates, the use of the megahertz sine voltage to excite the copper-vapor laser may raise the specific power of laser radiation by at least an order of magnitude at an efficiency of ≈15%.     

New laser dyes based on 3-imidazopyridylcoumarin derivatives

A comparative analysis of the spectral-luminescent characteristics and generation parameters of a number of 3-imidazopyridylcoumarin derivatives has been carried out under nano- and microsecond excitation by coherent and incoherent light. New coumarin dyes are offered that feature the ability to lase under different types of pumping in the spectral range 525–580 nm; high lasing efficiency reaching 20% and 1% under laser and lamp pumping, respectively; and high photochemical stability (3–5 times higher than that of rhodamine 6 G) under conditions of powerful nonmonochromatic pumping.     

Corrugated neat thin-film conjugated polymer distributed-feedback lasers

Wave-guided thin-film distributed-feedback (DFB) polymer lasers are fabricated by spin coating a PPV-derived semiconducting polymer, thianthrene-DOO-PPV, onto oxidised silicon wafers with corrugated second-order periodic gratings. The gratings are written by reactive ion beam etching. Laser action is achieved by transverse pumping with picosecond laser pulses (wavelength 347.15 nm, duration 35 ps). The DFB-laser surface emission and edge emission are analysed. Outside the grating region the polymer film is used for comparative wave-guided travelling wave laser (amplified spontaneous emission (ASE)) studies. The pump pulse threshold energy density for wave-guided DFB-laser action (4–9 μJ cm^-2) is found to be approximately a factor of two lower than the threshold for wave-guided travelling wave laser action. The spectral width of the DFB laser (down to Δλ_DFB≈0.07 nm) is considerably narrower than that of the travelling wave laser (Δλ_TWL≈14 nm). The DFB-laser emission is highly linearly polarised transverse to the grating axis (TE mode). Only at high pump pulse energy densities does an additional weak TM mode build up. The surface-emitted DFB-laser radiation has a low divergence along the grating direction. For both the DFB lasers and the travelling wave lasers, gain saturation occurs at high excitation energy densities. Received: 7 January 2002 / Revised version: 15 February 2002 / Published online: 14 March 2002     

Possibility of lasing on the Ne transitions in the afterglow of a background electron multiplication wave

The possibility of lasing with the Ne + H₂ Penning mixture in the afterglow of a background electron multiplication wave that emerges in the presence of a nanosecond high-voltage pulse with the subnanosecond leading edge across the discharge gap filled with the atmospheric-pressure gas is considered. The needed nonuniformity of the field is created with small-curvature-radius electrodes. It is demonstrated that lasing is possible at a relatively small (several centimeters) length of the active medium.     

Long-pulse KrCl laser with a high discharge quality

The discharge quality and optimum pump parameters of a long-pulse high-pressure gas discharge excited KrCl laser are investigated. A three-electrode prepulse–mainpulse excitation circuit is employed as pump source. The discharge volume contains a gas mixture of HCl/Kr/Ne operated at a total pressure of up to 5 bar. For a plane–plane resonator, the divergence of both output laser beams is measured. A low beam divergence of less than 1 mrad is measured as a result of the very high discharge homogeneity. A maximum laser pulse duration of 150 ns (FWHM) is achieved for a pump duration of 270 ns (FWHM) and a power density of 340 kW cm^-3. Pumping the discharge under optimum conditions employing a stable resonator results in a maximum specific energy of 0.45 J/l with a laser pulse duration of 117 ns and an efficiency of 0.63% based on the deposited energy. PACS 42.55.Lt; 52.25.-b; 52.59.Ye     

Open discharges: Structure, development, and role of photoemission

The research reported in three preceding papers is summarized. The photoelectron mechanism for the formation of electron beams in an open discharge with a grid anode is revised. Revision of the discharge mechanism also requires revision of the optimal conditions for its excitation. A new method for pumping lasers by beams of fast atoms formed in an open discharge with an inverted voltage is proposed. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 33–38 (March 1998)     

Repetitively pulsed CO2 laser driven by an electron accelerator with a gas-discharge plasma cathode

A repetitively pulsed electron-beam-controlled CO₂ laser driven by an electron accelerator with a plasma electron emitter based on low-pressure glow discharge with hollow anode and cathode is presented. The application of the proposed emitter makes it possible to sharply increase the current and to control the electron-beam duration and, hence, the energy and time characteristics of the laser. It is demonstrated that the radiation pulse duration ranges from 300 to 1200 μs, whereas the radiation energy amounts to 200 J at an efficiency of 18%. In the course of lasing, the focal spot is not affected by the heterogeneous heating of the active medium. A significant heterogeneity in the gas flow upon an incomplete renewal of the gas in the zone filled with radiation leads to an increase in the focal spot owing to the wavefront distortions. Original Text ? Astro, Ltd., 2006.     

Nonlinear dynamics of the dual-wavelength CO2 laser

Theoretical studies have been made of the nonlinear-dynamic modes of operation of a dual-wavelength CO₂ laser with continuous pumping by electric discharge and loss modulation in one of the lasing channels. It is shown that by varying the modulation depth and frequency, it is possible to control, over a fairly wide range, the time and energy parameters of lasing in both channels, going from regular to chaotic modes of operation. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 3, pp. 316–321, May–June, 2000.