Scaling of laser power with N/sub 2/ partial pressure in a convective-cooled CW CO/sub 2/ laser

Diffusion-cooled and convective-cooled CW CO/sub 2/ lasers have significantly different N/sub 2/ partial pressure in their optimum laser gas mixture. While in diffusion-cooled lasers the N/sub 2/ fractional concentration is normally within 20% of the total gas pressure, it ranges up to 60% in convective-cooled lasers. By considering various effects of N/sub 2/ and solving a simplified rate-equation model analytically, the large difference in the optimum N/sub 2/ concentrations in these two types of CO/sub 2/ laser is explained.<
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