Importance of pre-ionisation for the non-chain discharge-pumped HF laser

The importance of pre-ionisation for the non-chain discharge-pumped HF laser is studied through experiments on an X-ray photo-triggered laser using mixtures of Ne, SF₆, and ethane. The discharge dynamic in Ne/SF₆ mixtures or pure SF₆, as well as the stabilisation effect induced by C₂H₆ and consequences for the laser performance, are investigated for pre-ionisation electron density values, n_eo, ranging from 10⁶ cm^-3 up to 10⁹ cm^-3, as well as for the so-called discharge self-breakdown mode. Without ethane, the minimum n_eo value which is needed to complete 100% homogeneous charge deposition in the plasma is a very sharply increasing function of the SF₆ pressure. This hinders performance optimisation when the molecule used to react with F-atoms, for instance H₂, has no effect on the discharge dynamic. The minimum ethane partial pressure that is needed to stabilise the discharge depends on n_eo, the pumping pulse duration, the deposited electric charge, and the SF₆ pressure. Discharges in Ne/SF₆ can be much more efficiently stabilised by addition of a small amount of ethane than by an increase of n_eo. A pre-ionisation density as low as 10⁶ cm^-3 is sufficient to achieve the maximum laser energy value, but total suppression of the pre-ionisation has a detrimental effect on the active medium homogeneity. Received: 30 May 2000 / Revised version: 9 October 2000 / Published online: 9 February 2001     

High-efficiency,high-energy performance of a pulsed HF laser pumped by phototriggered discharge

A comparison of the performance of pulsed infrared HF lasers pumped by phototriggered discharges using either Ne/SF₆/H₂ or Ne/SF₆/C₂H₆ mixtures are presented. For an active volume of 50 cm³, a specific output energy as high as 11 J/ has been achieved with an efficiency higher than 3% when C₂H₆ is used as H atom fuel. The replacement of ethane by molecular hydrogen reduces the laser performance by 40%. The investigation of the temporal evolution of the laser intensity shows that this dramatic decrease results from a shortening of the laser pulse duration rather than from a decrease of the peak power. Indications are given that this behavior is correlated to a very different temporal evolution of the discharge parameters, especially at low reduced electric field E/N.     

Performance studies of a pulsed HF laser with a sliding discharge plasma cathode

The plasma electrode design concept is applied for the first time to an HF laser. The discharge along the surface of a dielectric (sliding discharge) is used as a plasma cathode for the main laser discharge. The laser operates at atmospheric pressure with a gas mixture of He/SF₆/C₃H₈. Details are presented on the efficiency of energy transfer, the dependence of laser performance on circuit parameters, gas mixture, relative energy loading and time delay between the plasma electrode and main discharges. The F atom production rate is estimated from the linear dependence of the output energy on the electric charge passed through the discharge. Output energies of 600 mJ were obtained at 1.6% efficiency from a small active discharge of 108 cm₃ volume and 38 cm length, while the maximum specific input and output energies were 370 J/1 and 5.7 J/1, respectively. These values compare favourably with those reported in the literature for non-chain-reaction-type gas mixtures at 1 atm pressure and demonstrate that the plasma electrode design is a powerful scheme for developing gas-discharge lasers.     

电激励脉冲HF激光SF_6/C_2H_6工作气体的放电特性

研究了电激励脉冲HF激光工作介质SF6/C2H6混合气体的放电特性。通过对放电等离子体荧光图像和放电波形的测量,分析比较了不同条件下放电稳定性、剩余电压、能量沉积效率等特性参数的变化情况。实验结果表明:混合气体的放电过程存在主放电、剩余电压维持和电弧放电3个阶段,各阶段的放电特性有所差异;提高充电电压有利于放电能量的有效沉积,也会使不稳定的电弧放电提前;增加C2H6原子分数能起到抑制电弧放电的作用;混合气体总压的增加会导致剩余电压的提高以及辉光放电的能量沉积效率的降低;最佳的能量沉积出现在电弧放电阶段与辉光放电阶段即将融合的临界状态。     

Modeling of a pump discharge for chemical non-chain-reaction HF lasers

A model of a pump discharge for a chemicalHF laser in aNe/SF ₆/C₂H₆ gaseous mixture excited with a self-maintained discharge is described. The results of numerical modeling are presented. It is shown that the density of positive and negative ions in the current maximum of such discharges exceeds the electron density by two orders of magnitude. Institute of High-Current Electronics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 63–66, August, 1999.     

The influence of vibrational excitation on the burning voltage of a pulsed electric discharge in HF laser working media

The burning voltages of an intermediate pressure self-sustained volume discharge (SSVD) in SF₆ and SF₆-C₂H₆ mixtures irradiated by a 10.6 μm pulse TEA CO₂ laser, have been measured on varying the laser fluences over a wide range. The delay between the voltage application and the laser pulse onset is 4 μs, and the laser pulse lasts ∼3 μs. The considerable rise observed in the discharge voltages with increasing absorbed specific laser radiation energy, is due to electron attachment to vibrationally excited molecules of SF₆. Different processes of relaxation of the vibrational energy stored in SF₆ molecules are analyzed and the relevant characteristic times are numerically assessed. The gas heating process owing to vibration-translation energy exchange is qualitatively described in terms of the “thermal explosion”. The relation between the “explosion” and delay times determines the peculiarities of electron attachment to vibrationally excited SF₆ molecules. The burning voltages of a submicrosecond non-irradiated SSVD in the above-mentioned media versus the specific electric energy deposited are also measured. They are compared to those of a laser-illuminated SSVD at commensurable specific laser energy depositions. It is concluded that electron attachment to the discharge-produced vibrationally excited SF₆ molecules is not capable of noticeably affecting the discharge voltages of a submicrosecond non-irradiated SSVD. PACS 42.55 Ks; 52.80     

紧凑的非链式脉冲HF激光器

研究了气体组分和峰化电容对紫外光预电离脉冲HF激光器性能的影响.实验发现最佳气体混合比为SF₆/C₂H₆=20:1,峰化电容和主放电电容的最佳比为C_p/C_s=0.3,在最佳气体混合比时,最大激光脉冲峰值功率和对应的总气压随充电电压的提高而增大.同时得到了E/P值和激光能量的关系.整个器件的最大激光输出为400mJ,脉冲峰值功率为1.5MW,最大电光转换效率约为2.2%.     

Plasma cathode TEA Ar laser development

The plasma cathode design concept is applied to an Ar laser for the first time. The sliding discharge is used as a plasma cathode for the main laser discharge. The laser operates at atmospheric pressure with a gas mixture of Ar/He/SF₆. Results concerning the dependence of the laser performance on the gas mixture flow rates and charging voltage are presented. The temporal behavior of the laser output is also presented. Output energies as high as 2 mJ, efficiency and specific energy extraction values up to 1.3×10⁻²% and 0.02 J/l respectively, at atmospheric pressure, are obtained. The spectroscopic examination of the output shows that lasing at 1.79 and 1.27 μm is obtained with approximately equal line intensities.     

Characteristics and efficiency of a compact HF laser initiated by an electron beam

A compact hydrogen fluoride laser is described and its efficiency is evaluated. The HF laser is initiated by injecting a 150 kV electron beam into a mixture of SF₆ and H₂ transversely to the laser cell axis. The optimum laser energy characteristics are determined as a function of the beam energy and gas pressure.     

Gas-discharge XeF* (B→X) laser with high specific output energy

The discharge characteristics of the XeF* (BX) laser are investigated. The NF₃ and Xe partial pressure of the laser gas mixture and the total gas pressure have been varied. A highest specific output energy of 4.7 J/l with an efficiency of 0.5% was obtained from a X-ray preionized Ne/Xe/NF₃ gas mixture at 6 bar with single-pulse excitation through a multichannel spark gap.     

Influence of SF6 on HF laser plasma parameters

Summary This paper presents the results of calculations of electron drift velocity, mean energy and ionization, and attachment coefficients in SF₆: C₃H₈: He mixtures performed according to the multiterm Boltzmann-equation analysis. The parameters for wide variation of gas mixture composition andE/N values are obtained. The results presented may be useful in studying the HF laser action, analysis of the gas discharge, and research, development and modelling of this type of lasers. The authors of this paper have agreed to not receive the proofs for correction.     

Absorption of CO2 laser pulses at different wavelengths by ground-state and vibrationally heated SF6

The absorption of CO₂ laser pulses by low pressure SF₆ gas has been investigated over a wide range of energy fluxes. For laser energy fluxes of 0.01–1 J cm^-2 the effective absorption cross section varies between 0.2 and 2 × 10^-18 cm². For each laser line an individual dependence on the energy is found and in some cases minor changes in the absorption behaviour seem to occur around 0.1 J cm^-2. SF₆ excited with an average vibrational energy content of up to 20 photons/molecule does not absorb measurable amounts of 9.4 μm laser light. The influence of various SF₆ and Ar pressures on the temporal shape of the transmitted pulses has been investigated.     

Total cross-sections for positron scattering by a series of molecules

The additivity rule is employed to obtain the total (elastic+inelastic) cross-sections for positron scattering from molecules including a number of diatomic, polyatomic molecules (H₂, N₂, HCl, CO₂, NH₃, SF₆, CH₄, C₂H₄ and C₃H₈) over an incident energy range of 10-1000 eV. The total cross-sections (TCS) of the constituent atoms of molecules are obtained by employing a complex optical model potential (composed of static, polarization and absorption potential). The present results are compared with experimental data and other theoretical calculations, good agreement is obtained in intermediate- and high-energy region. Received: 11 November 1997 / Revised: 23 March 1998 / Accepted: 16 June 1998     

HF-laser performance of CO2-laser-ignited mixtures of SF6 :H2 and of S2F10 :H2

We have used a CO₂ laser to ignite mixtures of SF₆ :H₂ and S₂F₁₀ :H₂. We observed HF lasing from these mixtures when an optical resonator was constructed around the reaction cell. The HF-lasing performance of the two mixtures was compared as a function of mixture ratio, fluorine-donor pressure, and CO₂-laser frequency. Under comparable conditions, the HF-laser output for S₂F₁₀ :H₂ mixtures was typically 5–6 times greater than that for SF₆ :H₂ mixtures. Spectral output of the HF laser was coarsely resolved to provide data about the vibrational and rotational states of the HF molecule.     

Transmission of broadband saturable absorbing mixture for 10.6 μm nanosecond pulses

The transmission through a mixture consisting of sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), ethyl alcohol (C₂H₅OH) and freon 502 (R502) was investigated with the 3-ns pulses of a TEA CO₂ laser operating at the 10P(20) line. The transmission characteristics of this mixture were measured. Thus, it was confirmed that the radiation beam traversing the gas-filled absorption cell exhibits self-interaction effects in a certain range of gas pressure, cell length and incident energy fluence. A more effective behavior of such an absorber was confirmed for mixtures under lower pressures and proportionally longer cells. Buffering behavior of the additives (C₂H₅OH and R502) was also assessed.     

An X-ray preionised self sustained discharge HF/DF laser

We report the design and characterisation of a flash X-ray preionised, transversely excited HF/DF laser with energy outputs at the joule level. The laser used a H₂/D₂: SF₆ mixture at a pressure of around 120 Torr. X-ray photon fluxes and ionisation rates in the laser gas are presented and the laser dependence on these examined. It is shown that X-ray preionisation can be effective and it is estimated that the laser should operate satisfactorily with as little as 5% of the total stored electrical energy in the preionisation circuit. The laser performance is comparable to that of a UV preionised device with similar operating parameters.     

Modes of a Ne-H2 laser employing a hollow-cathode discharge

An Ne-H₂ laser employing the 2s-2p transition in Ne is examined at current densities up to 300 ma/cm². The H₂ removes metastable Ne atoms and reduces the rate of excitation of the 2p level, so the discharge currents may be raised considerably. The gain at 11 143 Å is measured as a function of discharge current for near-optimal conditions.     

A KrF fast discharge laser in mixtures containing NF3, N2F4 or SF6

A fast discharge KrF laser system (λ = 248.5 nm) has been operated at 25 mJ/pulse, 3.0 MW peak power in high pressure He: Kr: fluoride mixtures containing low concentrations of both krypton and the fluorine donors N₂F₄, NF₃ and SF₆. Lasing action is reported for the first time in N₂F₄ and SF₆ with optimum energy output at 750 and 160 mJ/l respectively.     

Laser deposition of amorphous diamond films from liquid aromatic hydrocarbons

6 H₅CH₃, C₆H₆, and C₆H₅CH(CH₃)₂) to pulsed visible laser radiation of a copper vapor laser (λ=510.6 nm). The X-ray Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES), reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), and Raman analysis are employed to characterize the deposited films. The sp³ fraction in deposited films amounts to 60–70% and depends on the precursor. The average film thickness on a glass substrate is about 100 nm. The films show excellent adherence, are transparent in the visible and have microhardness of 50–70 GPa, as measured by nanoindentor. Received: 28 September 1998 / Accepted: 13 January 1999     

Generation of high-energy secondary pulsed molecular beams

A method is suggested for generating high-intensity secondary pulsed molecular beams in which the kinetic energy of molecules can be controlled by an intense laser IR radiation through the vibrational excitation of molecules in the source. High-intensity [≥10²⁰ molecule/(sr s)] SF₆ molecular beams with a kinetic energy of ?1.0 eV without carrier gas and of ?1.9 and ?2.4 eV with carrier He (SF₆/He=1/10) and H₂ (SF₆/H₂=1/10) gases, respectively, were obtained.