Operational characteristics of a variable pulse length,He-free,TE CO2-CO laser

A transversely excited CO₂ laser has been operated with gas mixtures containing only CO₂ and CO, to give pulse durations between 8 μs and 220 μs. The variation of pulse parameters with gas mixture and output mirror reflectivity is described, and reasons for the relatively high efficiency are discussed.     

Photodissociation of N2F4 by a nanosecond CO2 laser pulse

Photodissociation of N₂F₄ by a strong nanosecond CO₂ laser pulse was studied by probing the interaction volume with both UV and IR beams. Up to 20% of the molecules were found to be dissociated into NF₂ during the first few nanoseconds following the passage of the pulse.     

A continuously variable attenuator for the CO2 laser

A continuously variable attenuator for the CO₂ laser, causing minimal degradation of beam quality, is implemented using rotating ZnSe wedges, and is capable of transmissivities between 0.3% and 18%, and between 27% and 89%. The transmissivity at any particular setting was measured to be essentially constant for wavelengths from 9.27 μm (9R20) to 10.77 μm (10P36).     

预电离脉冲群开关技术高功率脉冲CO2激光器

采用独特的电极结构和预电离脉冲群开关放电技术, 实现了5kW 量级平均功率横流CO₂激光器脉冲激光输出. 关键词： 2脉冲激光')" href="#">CO₂脉冲激光 预电离 脉冲群开关     

损耗调制CO2激光脉冲的噪声特性

由于自发辐射噪声的涨落,CO2激光器的脉冲峰值强度与时间延迟密切相关。理论和实验研究发现,对于典型的B类CO2激光器．在损耗调制情况下,当脉冲峰值出现在最低腔损耗to之前时,初始自发辐射噪声越大,相对于阈值点的第一个渡跃时间tFP越小,对应的峰值强度越小;当脉冲峰值出现在最低腔损耗to之后时,初始自发辐射噪声越大,相对于阈值点的第一个渡跃时间tFP越小,对应的峰值强度则越大。     

Short single-mode CO2 laser pulse generation by pulsed Q-switching

A simple method for the generation of short, single-mode CO₂ laser pulses produced by applying two voltage gates (of amplitude 3U_λ/4 and U_λ/4) to an electro-optic Q-switch placed in a three-mirror cavity is proposed. Single, single-mode, well-synchronizable pulses of 3 ns duration and of 3 mJ energy have been experimentally achieved from a TEA CO₂ laser with an intracavity Pockels cell with 3 ns switching time. Using a numerical simulation it is shown that with shorter switching time (≈1 ns) the method enables one to obtain, from such a laser, a single, megawatt pulse of 1 ns duration.     

Subnanosecond mid-infrared laser pulse generation by synchronous mode-locked CO2 laser pumping

An injection mode-locked CO₂ laser has been used to synchronously pump NH₃ and C₂D₂ mid-infrared lasers resulting in the generation of short (? 1 ns) and powerful (> 1 MW) pulse trains.     

Investigation of cutting of engineering ceramics with Q-switched pulse CO2 laser

In this paper, the cutting of Si₃N₄ engineering ceramics with Q-switched pulse CO₂ laser is studied. Considering the influence of the cut front shape on the absorption of the laser beam, a simplified 2D mathematic model is developed based on a pulsed laser vaporization cut process. This model is based on the conservation of energy. The experimental results show that it would realize crack-free cutting by using high-speed and multi-pass feed cutting process.     

CO2/CO2 isotopic ratio measurements with a continuous-wave quantum cascade laser in exhaled breath

A laser spectrometer based on a continuous-wave thermoelectrically-cooled distributed feedback quantum cascade laser at ∼2308 cm⁻¹ has been evaluated for measurement of ¹³CO₂/¹²CO₂ isotopic ratio (δ¹³C) changes in exhaled breath samples and in CO₂ gas flows in the concentration range 1-5%. Mid-infrared CO₂ absorption spectra were measured in a 54.2-cm long optical cell using balanced detection whereby the beam passing through the cell was ratioed against a reference beam split-off from the main beam before the cell. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) were estimated for CO₂ concentration measurements determined from either absorption peak amplitude or absorption peak area. The highest SNR were achieved in the measurements based upon a fitted absorption peak area. Typical short-term δ¹³C precisions of 1.1⁰/₀₀ (1-s integration time) and 0.5⁰/₀₀ (8-12-s integration time) were estimated from the two-sample (Allan) variance plots of data recorded in the optical cell at a pressure of 20 Torr and with no active temperature stabilization of the cell and gas flow. The best precision of 0.12⁰/₀₀ was achieved for averaging 80 successive 1-s integration time measurements.     

Current CO2 laser surgery

With the development of suitable instrumentation, human-engineered to fulfil the requirements of the clinical surgeon and designed to fit in with the physical conditions prevailing in the operating theatre, laser surgery has advanced rapidly in the past few years. It shows signs of even more rapid progress and general acceptance as its application and advantages in more and more fields of surgery are demonstrated.     

Advanced CO2 laser rangefinders

Factors affecting the design of compact heterodyne- and direct-detection systems are contrasted. Recent UK achievements are placed in context: a TEA laser direct-detection rangefinder and a chirp-pulse-comparison rangefinder-velocimeter are described.     

Saturated absorption of C2H4 with a CO2 waveguide laser

Saturated spectroscopy of C₂H₄ was performed with a CO₂ waveguide laser. Seventeen lines were measured with a precision of the order of 200 kHz. On the basis of these data and of a new highly accurate determination of the ground-state rotational constants a better analysis of the ν₄, ν₇, and ν₁₀ levels was achieved.     

Absolute frequencies of CO2 laser transitions by multiplication of CO2 laser difference frequencies

Frequencies of CO₂ laser transitions have been compared to the Cs standard by a four-step frequency chain using difference-frequencies from five CO₂ isotope lasers. A tungsten-nickel diode generates the differences and their harmonics. Measurement of the 10.71 μm R(6) transition of ¹³C¹⁸O₂ is described. The absolute frequency was found to be 27 979 469.512(65) MHz. Simultaneously, the four other CO₂ frequencies in the chain were also determined.     

Optically pumped NH3 laser using a continuously tunable CO2 laser

The use of a continuously tunable CO₂ laser to optically pump the NH₃ laser via previously inaccessible absorption lines is described. Efficient laser action has thus been achieved in the 11–13 μm region on transitions formerly only obtained in buffered mixtures.     

Coherent optical pulse evolution in a CO2 amplifier

The coherent reshaping of short duration (2–5 nsec) CO₂ laser pulses in a low-pressure (∽ 5 torr), longitudinal discharge CO₂ amplifier is experimentally studied in the linear regime for a variable number of gain lengths (αL?7). Single pulses grow considerably in duration as well as amplitude in agreement with theoretical considerations. Analysis of the observed pulse evolution is used to obtain the transverse relaxation parameter T₂. Zero-degree pulses {∫^+∞_-∞E ( z, t) dt = 0} are observed to terminate much of the long tail which occurs in single-pulse amplification. Off-resonant amplification of short-duration pulses is shown to lead to dramatic changes in the zero-degree pulse evolution. Numerical calculations relating to pulse amplification in the nonlinear regime for high-pressure CO₂ amplifiers are also presented.     

XPS investigation on Upilex-S polyimide ablated by pulse TEA CO2 laser

Laser ablation of Upilex-S polyimide films 80 μm thick was performed in air using a pulse TEA CO₂ laser with wavelength 9.3 μm. A halo surrounding the hole was observed, which is covered with sub-micro particles. Pieces of ablation products protrude from the ablated surface, leading to considerable roughness of the ablated area. Chemical and structural changes of Upilex-S polyimide film surface irradiated by the pulse TEA CO₂ laser in air were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Relative C content in the ablated area was found to be higher, whilst both O and N contents were lower than in the untreated area. This means that TEA CO₂ laser ablation released both the O and N atoms. Also, the peak areas corresponding with carbonyl group (C=O) in the imide system were reduced much more and a new component at 287.0 eV assigned to the amide structure (N---C=O) was detected after laser ablation. These suggest that the pyrolysis of the Upilex-S polyimide was the decomposition of the imide ring between the nitrogen/aromatic carbon atom and carbonyl carbon atom. In addition, another new component arising from >C=O groups was also detected for higher fluence (7.83 J/cm²), and its peak areas is very small. This result indicates that the slight oxidation may take place with higher fluence during laser ablation in air. Based on above-mentioned experimental results, a possible thermally-induced decomposition path of Upilex-S polyimide ablated by TEA CO₂ laser is presented.     

New CH2F2 FIR laser lines pumped by a tunable WG CO2 laser

8 new large offset FIR laser lines of CH₂F₂ have been discovered by pumping with a high tunability waveguide CW CO₂ laser. Optoacoustic measurements of CH₂F₂ have also been performed and the pump offsets of the new and of previously known lines have been measured and checked. Some assignments are proposed and a few assignments found in literature are checked