Quasi-simultaneous ultraviolet and infrared emission from a plasma cathode TEA laser

Quasi-simultaneous laser action in the UV (0.337 μm) and the IR (10.6 μm) was observed from a pulsed laser with a sliding discharge plasma cathode. The laser operates at atmospheric pressure, with a gas mixture of CO₂/N₂/He, at a 0.26/0.50/4.0 lmin⁻¹ flow rate. Output energies of 30 mJ in the IR and 0.35 mJ in the UV were obtained, from a laser discharge volume of 38.0×1.0×2.8 cm³. The optimum gas mixtures have been determined and the temporal behavior of the discharge parameters, the performance characteristics of the laser and the beam spatial distributions were investigated.