Synchronizable, injection-locked, Q-switched, mode-locked, and cavity-dumped ten-atmosphere CO/sub 2/ laser
A novel, active, mode-locking scheme for producing single, line-tunable, high-power ultrashort CO/sub 2/-laser pulses is described. Using an auxiliary grating-tuned cw CO/sub 2/ laser for injection locking on the 9R(16) line, the Q-switched, mode-locked, and cavity-dumped 10-atm CO/sub 2/ laser produces single, detection-limited (<500 ps) pulses of 5-mJ energy at lambda = 9.29 ..mu..m. Details are given on the traveling-wave GaAs Pockels cells, both of which are controlled by a single, ultraviolet (UV) triggered spark gap. The time-locked output pulse is delayed by precisely 300.7 ns with < +- 50 ps jitter against the UV triggered spark gap, so the laser pulse is synchronizable to an external event to < +- 250 ps. To drive the transverse-electric (TE) 10-atm amplifier section, instead of the conventional Marx bank or inductance-capacitance (LC) generator, a new type of circuit is used. The automatically preionized, double-sided LC inversion circuit uses only one spark gap, and a detailed description with operating characteristics is provided.
- Research Organization:
- Department of Physics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver B.C. V6T 2A6, Canada
- OSTI ID:
- 6806199
- Journal Information:
- J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 61:3; ISSN JAPIA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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