Review of theoretical gain-optimization studies in 10.6µm CO2-N2 gasdynamic lasers

A comprehensive theoretical analysis of optimization of gain in CO₂-N₂ gasdynamic laser employing wedge or conical or hyperbolic nozzles with either H₂O or He as the catalyst is presented. After a review of previous work, the usual governing equations for the steady inviscid quasi-one-dimensional flow in a supersonic nozzle of a gasdynamic laser are used to obtain similar solutions for the various flow quantities, which variables are subsequently used to optimize the small-signal gain on theP(20) line of the (001) → (100) transition of CO₂ at wavelength 10.6μm. The corresponding optimum values like reservoir pressure and temperature and nozzle area ratio also have been predicted and presented in the form of graphs. The analysis predicts that employing of 2D-wedge nozzle results in higher gain values and the CO₂-N₂-H₂O gasdynamic laser employing 2D-wedge nozzle is operationally the best laser system for which the optimum value as high as 3.1 m⁻¹ gain can be obtained.     

Numerical investigation of a fast-axial-flow CW CO2 laser

This paper presents the results of the calculation of the parameters of the active medium of a fast-axial-flow CO₂ laser using numerical methods in the framework of a one-dimensional approximation of the set of continuity equations, Bernoulli equation, equation of gas state, energy equation and multi-temperature rate equations with regard to diffusion for the gas flow in the cylindrical discharge tube. The spatial distribution of the small-signal gain and gas temperature along the gas flow direction have been calculated for a given set of initial conditions, namely, gas flow velocity, gas pressure and the tube diameter. In addition, the dependence of small-signal gain, the asymmetric stretch vibrational temperature of CO₂ (T₃) and the gas temperature on the discharge current were studied.     

Design considerations and scaling laws for high power convective cooled CW CO2 lasers

Various criteria for designing high power convective cooled CO₂ lasers have been discussed. Considering the saturation intensity, optical damage threshold of the optical resonator components and the small-signal gain, the scaling laws for designing high power CW CO₂ lasers have been established. In transverse flow CO₂ lasers having discharge of square cross-section, the discharge lengthL and its widthW for a specific laser powerP (Watt) and gas flow velocityV (cm/s) can be given byL = 1.4 x 10⁴ p ^1/2 V ^-1 cms andW = 0.04P ^1/2 cms. The optimum transmitivity of the output coupler is found to be almost constant (about 60%), independent of the small signal gain and laser power. In fast axial flow CO₂ lasers the gas flow should be divided into several discharge tubes to maintain the flow velocity within sonic limit. The discharge length in this type of laser does not depend explicitly on the laser power, instead it depends on the input power density in the discharge and the gas flow velocity. Various considerations for ensuring better laser beam quality are also discussed.     

Characteristics of amine-based all-gas-phase iodine laser

The characteristics of an amine-based all-gas-phase iodine laser (AGIL) are studied. At constant flow rates of the chemical species, the small-signal gain and laser output power are measured at three different positions in the flow reactor. It is clarified that the positive gain exceeding the threshold (2.3×10^?3%/cm) is maintained over a region more than 80 mm long along the flow. The highest small-signal gain of 7.8×10^?3%/cm and laser output power of 50 mW are observed at 170 mm downstream from the mixing point of HI and H. Numerical simulations suggest that the long positive-gain region is attributable to the following characteristics of the present apparatus: inefficient mixing and inefficient H₂ dissociation. It is confirmed experimentally and numerically that these limitations are beneficial for extending the positive-gain region to the downstream; however, the optimum HI flow rate is limited a small value and results in a much lower gain than the theoretical limit. In order to achieve a higher gain, fast mixing and efficient H₂ dissociation must be simultaneously achieved so as to increase the optimum HI flow rate. Numerical simulation results suggest that a positive gain of 5.4×10^?2%/cm, a 7-times higher gain than that indicated by the present experimental results, should be obtained with the same NCl₃ flow rate.     

A simple kinetic model of a Ne-H2 Penning-plasma laser

A simple kinetic model of the Ne-H₂ Penning-Plasma Laser (PPL) (NeI 585.3 nm) is proposed. The negative glow of a hollow cathode discharge at intermediate pressures is considered as the active medium. The balance equations for the upper and lower laser levels, electrons, ions and electron energy are solved. The dependences of the laser gain on the discharge conditions (Ne and H₂ partial pressures, discharge current) are calculated and measured. The calculated values are in a good agreement with the experimental data.     

Mathematical modeling of hybrid CO2 laser

A Teller–Landau six-temperature model describing the dynamic emission of single-mode TEA CO₂ laser has been adapted. This model has been also used to describe the mechanism of obtaining relatively high-power output pulses from hybrid TE-TEA or CW-TEA CO₂ laser consisting of high- and low-pressure sections. The suggested mathematical model allows to investigate the mechanism which limits the TEA oscillation to single longitudinal mode (SLM) due to the narrow gain bandwidth of low-pressure section, and also to study the effect of the laser input parameters on the smooth output laser pulse parameters. In addition, numerical solutions of non-linear rate equation system of the suggested model are quantitatively discussed. The solutions describe the radiation field intensity, the population inversion, and the energy transfer processes. The calculated values of maximum peak power, total energy in pulse, pulse width, etc. are in a very good agreement with the observed experimental values.     

Characteristics of the gain medium for an ejector COIL with supersonic nozzles for the driver buffer gas

The use of supersonic nozzles for the driver nitrogen in an ejector nozzle bank (ENB) for chemical-oxygen iodine laser (COIL) resulted in the elimination of the chocking effect for the primary oxygen flow and formation of a low temperature gain medium. The ENB generates a supersonic gain medium with a Mach number greater than 2.2, and a temperature less than 200 K. The potential recovered pressure was 90 Torr with a small signal gain greater than 10^-2 cm^-1. With a 5 cm gain length for this nozzle, the output power was 1.2 kW with a chemical efficiency of 23.4%. A strong decay of I(²P_1/2) emission, (concentration), along the gain medium flow was observed . PACS  42.55.Ks     

A computer model of a transverse discharge cw CO laser

A kinetic model has been developed for the investigation of the novel performance of a CO laser, on which efficient extraction of laser power was obtained by exciting a subsonic gas mixture of CO/N₂/He/O₂ through transverse dc discharge. Kinetic equations for direct excitation by electron impact, V-V and V-R/T energy transfer, and stimulated emission are coupled with a semi-one-dimensional flow model. Careful consideration is devoted especially to the V-V transfer process of CO–N₂ and N₂–N₂. The laser power was calculated by a constant gain method. The laser output performance, examined as a function of gas mixture ratio, temperature, flow velocity, and discharge current, was in good agreement with the experiment.     

Gain and saturation intensity parameters in a transverse-flow CO2 laser

Details of an experimental investigation of the output characteristics of the 1.2 kW cw transverse-flow, electrically excited CO₂ laser are presented. They were used for estimation of the saturation intensity and the laser cavity loss values, as they follow from the Rigrod-type model of laser operation. The saturation intensity parameter was calculated from measurements of the output power and small signal gain performed with the same experimental conditions. Measurements of the small signal gain were conducted at different points along the gas flow direction for several laser operational parameters described by gas pressure and input electrical power.     

High power performances of a CW optically pumped 117 μm/184 μm CH2F2 laser with uniform coupling

This paper reports on power performances, laser gain measurements and pressure behavior of the CH₂F₂ laser operating on the intense lines at 117.7 μm and 184.3 μm. The optimum laser coupling rates are determined for these two transitions. 150 mW output power at 184.3 μm is obtained with a uniform coupling of the FIR cavity. To our knowledge this is the best result obtained in such a condition.     

A numerical analysis of gain characteristics of Er-doped Al2O3 waveguide amplifiers

The gain characteristics of erbium-doped Al₂O₃ waveguide amplifiers are investigated by solving numerically rate equations with upconversion effects and propagation equations. We obtained the dependence of gain of erbium-doped Al₂O₃ waveguide amplifiers on the waveguide length, erbium concentration and pump power at different pumping wavelengths (980 and 1480 nm). The performance of amplifiers pumping at 1480 and 980 nm are compared. It is shown that 980 nm pumping has higher gain and higher pumping efficiency. The parameters of waveguide amplifiers have been optimized. A optical gain of 43 dB can be achieved for a optimum waveguide length of 8.25 cm and 5.8 × 10²⁰ cm^–3 Er concentration pumped with 100 mW at 980 nm, that is a gain of 5.2 dB/cm.     

Perfect fluid space-times with a two-dimensional orthogonally transitive group of homothetic motions

We use theghp formalism to obtain perfect fluid space-times with a two-dimensional and orthogonally transitive group of proper homothetic motionsH ₂, with the additional condition that the four-velocity of the fluid either lies on the group orbits or is orthogonal to them. In the first case the orbits of theH ₂ are timelike and all possible solutions are explicitly given. They comprise (i) space-times of Petrov type I that admit a groupH ₃ containing two hypersurface orthogonal and commuting Killing vectors (when theH ₂ is abelian, the fluid has a stiff equation of state and the space-time is of type D), and (ii) a class of type D static space-times with a maximalH ₂ in which the two-spaces orthogonal to the group orbits have constant curvature. When the orbits of theH ₂ are spacelike, the fluid is necessarily stiff and different classes of solutions admitting maximalH ₂ andH ₃ are identified.     

Gain measurements at 157 nm in an F2 pulsed discharge molecular laser

The small signal gain of a F₂ molecular laser near 157 nm was measured with the passive cell absorption method. A gain of 3.2% cm^-1 was found under optimum working conditions at 2 atm total gas pressure.     

Three-dimensional numerical thrust performance analysis of hydrogen fuel mixture rotating detonation engine with aerospike nozzle

The propulsive performance for an H₂/O₂ and H₂/Air rotating detonation engine (RDE) with conic aerospike nozzle has been estimated using three-dimensional numerical simulation with detailed chemical reaction model. The present paper provides the evaluation of the specific impulse (I_sp), pressure gain and the thrust coefficient for different micro-nozzle stagnation pressures and for two configurations of conic aerospike nozzle, open and choked aerospike. The simulations show that regardless of the nozzle, increase the micro-nozzles stagnation pressure increases the mass flow rate, the pre-detonation gases pressure and consequently the post-detonation pressure. This gain of pressure in the combustion chamber leads to a higher pressure thrust through the nozzle, improving the I_sp. It was also found that the choked nozzle increases the chamber time-averaged static pressure by 50–60% compared with the open nozzle, inducing higher performance for the same reason explained before.     

Nonequilibrium Ionization by Vibrationally Excited Molecules in Supersonic Flows

The results of experimental investigations on thermal nonequilibrium ionization in CO₂: N₂: He mixtures are presented. Measurements of electron density, n_e, in vibrationally excited nitrogen were made in a supersonic flow with different CO₂ contents as well as in a CO₂: N₂: He = 1 : 5 : 4 mixture laser gas. The mixtures were heated in a shock tube and expanded through a supersonic nozzle. Furthermore, supersonic mixing of N₂ and CO₂ + He was used in some experiments. The measured values of n_e in the plenum chamber and in the supersonic nozzle are reported, and the processes responsible for nonequilibrium ionization in a laser-active medium are discussed.     

Improving the characteristics of the modulation response for fiber Bragg grating Fabry–Perot lasers by optimizing model parameters

A unified and comprehensive study on the small-signal intensity and frequency modulation characteristics of a fiber Bragg grating Fabry–Perot (FBG–FP) laser are numerically investigated. The effect of injection current, temperature, external optical feedback (OFB), nonlinear gain compression factor, fiber grating (FG) parameters and spontaneous emission factor on modulation response characteristics are presented. The rate equations of the laser model are presented in the form that the effect of temperature (T) and external optical feedback (OFB) are included. The temperature dependence (TD) of laser response is calculated according to the TD of laser cavity parameters instead of directly using the well-known Parkove equation. It is shown that the optimum external fiber length (L_ext) is 3.1 cm and the optimum range of working temperature for FGFP laser is within ±2 °C from the FBG reference temperature (T_o). Also, the antireflection (AR) coating reflectivity and the linewidth enhancement factor have no significant effect on the modulation spectra. It is also show that modulation response is extremely sensitive to the OFB level, high injection current and gain compression factor. The study indicates clearly that good dynamic characteristic can be obtained by system parameters optimization.     

中远红外双波段激光器增益介质匹配

对中远红外双波段激光器中DF和CO2两种增益介质的匹配进行了研究。根据对DF和CO2两种增益介质分布的理论分析,发现DF相比于CO2介质增益峰值位置更靠前,激活区长度更短,据此设计加工了一台双波段激光器,使CO2气体注入孔位置可调,通过D2和CO2注入孔位置的差别来实现两种介质增益峰值位置的匹配。实验证明了这种设计是有效的,并确定了激光器共同光轴的最佳位置位于D2气注入孔下游3 mm,CO2注入孔下游33 mm处,此处双波段激光的输出功率均接近最大值。     

Wide-band interferometric tuning of a multiatmosphere CO2 laser

We describe the operating characteristics of a compact, frequency tunable, electron-beam-controlled, 15 atmosphere CO₂ laser. Two intracavity Fabry-Perot etalons have been used to obtain laser line narrowing and continuous tuning within the 10.4 μm and 9.4μm bands of the CO₂ gain spectrum. The laser output consists of a 100 nsec pulse (fwhm) with energy up to 100 mJ. The overall laser tuning range is 70 cm^-1 and we have measured a laser linewidth of 0.03 cm^-1.     

Infrared diode laser absorption features of N2O and CO2 in a laval nozzle

Design and operation of a pulsed Laval nozzle and the characterization of molecular flow through such a nozzle using IR tunable diode laser (TDL) is the central theme of this work. The results here deal with He diluted N₂O and CO₂ gaseous systems. Boltzmann type plots of the spectral intensity data of both N₂O and CO₂ show non-linear behaviour. We have attempted to understand this non-linear behaviour of Boltzmann plots in terms of (1) instability in the jet and (2) a two-temperature model for the flowing gas, a cold central core and a hot boundary layer close to the nozzle walls. The model based on jet instability represents the data somewhat poorer than the two-temperature model. The parameters derived from fitting our experimental data to the former model could be used to calculate the thermodynamic parameters only through further approximations. Measured absorption line profile of the P(15) line of the v ₂ band of N₂O as a function of axial distance from the nozzle exit gradually shifts from a Lorentzian to a Gaussian type. Velocity distribution of N₂O molecules in a Laval nozzle is determined by differentiating the absorption line profile of the P(15) line (v ₀=576.235 cm^–1) of the v ₂ band of N₂O. Translational temperature of N₂O molecules is determined from the observed spectral profiles.     

Hall effect on MHD flow and heat transfer of nanofluids over a stretching wedge in the presence of velocity slip and Joule heating

This paper deals with the boundary layer flow and heat transfer of nanofluids over a stretching wedge with velocity-slip boundary conditions. In this analysis, Hall effect and Joule heating are taken into consideration. Four different types of water-base nanofluids containing copper (Cu), silver (Ag), alumina (Al₂O₃), and titania (TiO₂) nanoparticles are analyzed. The partial differential equations governing the flow and temperature fields are converted into a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations using a similarity transformation. The resulting similarity equations are then solved by using the shooting technique along with the fourth order Runge-Kutta method. The effects of types of nanoparticles, the volume fraction of nanoparticles, the magnetic parameter, the Hall parameter, the wedge angle parameter, and the velocityslip parameter on the velocity and temperature fields are discussed and presented graphically, respectively.