A reliable high average power dye laser

A flashlamp-pumped dye laser with an average output power of 6.6 W at 100 Hz repetition rate is described, which utilizes thyristors as switching elements instead of the normally used spark gaps. Using a simmering-mode operation of the flashlamps, no high voltage sparks are required to initiate the discharge even at low capacitor voltages. In this way the amplitude and time jitter of the laser output pulse are decreased and the life and reliability of the laser considerably increased.