This article is cited in 22 papers

Lasers

Effect of matching of a power supply with a laser tube and of pumping conditions on the relaxation of metastable states and the frequency – energy parameters of a copper vapour laser

P. A. Bokhan, D. È. Zakrevskii

Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk

Abstract: The relation between the lasing efficiency of a copper vapour laser and relaxation of the metastable states is studied at high average pump powers. The prepulse concentration N_ms0 of metastable states in tubes of diameter 2 cm in lasers with a high efficiency (above 1%) is shown to be negligible up to linear output powers of ~50 W m^-1 and has no effect on the output power. At a lower lasing efficiency caused by the mismatch between a power supply and the laser tube, the population of metastable states strongly increases during afterglow and can become a main factor restricting the output power in a repetitively pulsed regime. As the neon pressure is increased or hydrogen is added, the matching is facilitated and the effect of N_ms0 on the lasing parameters of a high-power copper laser decreases.

PACS: 42.55.Lt, 42.60.Lh

Received: 01.08.2001
Revised: 28.05.2002

 English version: Quantum Electronics, 2002, 32:7, 602–608

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