ROLE OF THERMAL EFFECTS AND FAST FLOW POWER SCALING TECHNIQUES IN CO2–N2–He LASERS

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Abstract
Studies of thermal effects in a multi‐Joule pulsed CO2 laser indicate that the average power is limited because the equilibrium gas temperature rises with increasing rep rate (or average power input), thereby thermally populating the CO2 (010) level. It is shown that helium primarily heat‐sinks the gas. Suitably low gas temperatures can be maintained throughout high pressure, large cavity volumes by exchanging the gas in times shorter than the wall diffusion time. Under such conditions, a linear power scaling‐mass flow relationship of 35 kW/lb mass/sec has been attained. A 1‐m fast flowing cw device currently produces in excess of 2 kW average in oscillator configuration.

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