Prospects for Further Development of Self-Heated Lasers on the Self-Contained Transitions of a Copper Atom

An analysis of the causes restricting the frequency–energy characteristics of a copper vapor laser is carried out. The principal cause of the restriction is shown to be the high deexcitation rate of the higher laser levels into the ionized state. This involves a strong increase in the expenditures of energy for the population inversion with a rise in the electron density before the pulse and a high $Q$ factor of the discharge circuit at the end of the exciting pulse. The high Q factor of the discharge circuit is responsible for the oscillatory process of energy dissipation within the time spacing between pulses. This energy is stored in the reactive component of impedance of the discharge tube during the excitation pulse. The oscillatory dissipation defines a slow relaxation of the lower laser levels within the time spacing between the pulses. Analysis of the conditions of population inversion formation in a copper vapor laser shows that the active medium should be pumped in a two-pulse excitation mode to realize the energy potential of the laser of 1–2 kW/liter. The advantages of such an excitation mode over the traditional single-pulse excitation are confirmed.