RF excitation of a flowing gas CO/sub 2/ waveguide laser

Investigation of an RF excited CO/sub 2/ waveguide laser in flowing gas operation is reported. Power extraction of 0.8 W/cm with an efficiency of 10.3% has been achieved. Using W.W. Rigrod's analysis (1965), values of the small-signal gain alpha /sub 0/ and saturation parameter I/sub s/ have been determined for different excitation levels and for different pressures of the amplifying medium. The parameters alpha /sub 0/ and I/sub s/, have been determined as 0.6%/cm and 10.4 kW/cm/sup 2/, respectively, at 125 torr and 100 W/cm/sup 3/ RF loading power. These values are close to those reported for sealed-off RF CO/sub 2/ waveguide lasers with xenon added to the gas mixture.<
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