Subnanosecond multi-gigawatt CO{sub 2} laser

Journal Article · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1995 · IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/3.364413· OSTI ID:32008

Pogorelsky, I V; Fischer, J; Kusche, K P; Babzien, M ^[1]; Kurnit, N A; Bigio, I J; Harrison, R F; Shimada, T ^[2]

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1. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)

A semiconductor switching technique has been utilized to produce 30-300 ps variable duration CO{sub 2} laser pulses of 0.5-MW peak power. Eight passes through a 1.2-m long, UV-preionized, 3-atm TE CO{sub 2} amplifier raises the output laser peak power to the 10{sup 10} W level. Sampling the amplifier gain in linear and saturated regimes using CO{sub 2} laser radiation ranging from CW to 30 ps pulse length permits comparison with computer modeling of picosecond CO{sub 2} pulse amplification. The potential for further peak power scaling of picosecond molecular lasers is discussed.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016; AC06-83ER40128
• OSTI ID: 32008
• Journal Information: IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, Journal Name: IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 31; ISSN 0018-9197; ISSN IEJQA7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
CARBON DIOXIDE LASERS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DESIGN
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFRARED RADIATION
LASER RADIATION
POWER
SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHES
USES