Waveguide TEA laser

Abstract

We describe a miniature transverse‐excitation CO₂ laser in which the 10.6‐μm laser radiation is confined within a hollow rectangular‐cross‐section dielectric and metal waveguide. Using a flowing mixture of CO₂, N₂, and He we have obtained laser action at pressures up to 1 atm, and pulse repetition rates as high as 4 kHz.