Analysis of the CO2 TEA laser

Abstract
A five‐temperature model for the CO2–N2–He system has been employed to predict the output‐power pulse shape from a TEA laser. Theoretical predictions are compared to experimental data for several gas mixtures, cavity configurations, and excitation levels with good agreement. This model should be useful in the evaluation of alternative pumping schemes and in the understanding of CO2 TEA laser dynamics when nonlinear media are placed in the optical cavity.