Single-frequency, atmospheric pressure CO2 laser

Abstract

In the paper we describe a TEA CO₂ laser operating on only one axial mode. The laser resonator is only 15 cm in length. In order to achieve reliable operation for such a small system a special excitation technique has been developed. This technique is described in detail. The main advantages of the system are the absence of a separate uv source and very reliable operation. In order to obtain single axial mode operation the frequency of the mode has to lie close to the central frequency of the transition. A cavity with tunable length was necessary to achieve this. The total output power of the laser is 35 mJ and the time duration of the pulse is 25 ns.