The cross-beam electric-discharge convection laser

An experimental investigation of a 60-cm-wide × 2.5-cm-high N
2
-CO
2
cross-beam electric-discharge convection laser (EDCL) is described. In the cross-beam EDCL, the discharge is maintained along the flow in a rectangular cross-section channel and optical power is extracted transverse to the discharge and flow. High mass flow rates are employed to achieve high volumetric power densities. Experiments relating to the achievement of uniform and stable discharges at high-power levels in the rectangular laser channel, and measurements of the small-signal gain characteristics, amplifier performance, and optical quality are described. Using an 11-pass optical scheme, a CW optical output power of 2 kW has been extracted from the amplifier at an electrical efficiency of 9.6 percent.