Characteristics of high-field preionized discharges for transversely excited waveguide lasers

Abstract
We have investigated the role of the preionization cathode material and the preionization energy in high‐field preionized discharges of a CO2 laser mixture at atmospheric pressure. Independent control of both the E/p and the input energy is demonstrated over a large range of values. These results are applicable to the design of waveguide lasers and other types of gas‐discharge devices.