High power density continuous wave plasma glow jet laser system
A high power density cw gas dynamic laser system is described which includes a nonequilibrium plasma jet for generating excited gaseous species having high vibrational temperature and low gas temperature. Gas flow through the plasma jet is reduced to highly turbulent subsonic flow by an expanding nozzle. Lasing in an optical cavity oriented transversely with respect to the flow of the gaseous plasma extracts vibrational energy from the excited gaseous species as they emerge from the expansion nozzle. The system also includes, immediately upstream from the optical cavity, an injection system which introduces and uniformly mixes a lasing gaseous species into the highly turbulent subsonic gaseous plasma flow from the plasma jet. Gas sweeps are established in the arms of the optical cavity to cool and sweep high temperature unexcited gas species therefrom in order to reduce absorption in the optical cavity. The laser system can be adapted for either open cycle or closed cycle operation depending upon the gaseous mediums utilized. A particular carbon dioxide--nitrogen gas dynamic laser system is described which has a gain coefficient of 32/m at 20 torr of carbon dioxide and 40 torr of nitrogen with an estimated power density of approximately 1000 W/cm/sup 3/, a saturation parameter of approximately 2000 W/cm/sup 2/ and an estimated overall efficiency of approximately 24 percent.
- Assignee:
- TIC; ERA-01-017019; EDB-76-042953
- Patent Number(s):
- US 3946332
- OSTI ID:
- 7365332
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 13 Jun 1974
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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