High Power Optically Pumped Submillimeter Laser Systems

The production of high power submillimeter radiation by 200 MW level CO
2
laser pumping of various gases such as CH
3
F and D
2
O has been studied. A number of cavity and amplifier configurations were used to produce narrow linewidth radiation. A 384.6 μm D
2
O oscillator amplifier system was used to produce a 12.7 millijoule, 195 kW, 70 MHz wide single mode beam in 60-70 nsec pulses.