Extension of the Life of a Flashlamp Pumped Ti: Sapphire Laser

We have measured the characteristics of a flashlamp pumped Ti: sapphire laser in which a double step simmer circuit and a solid state florescent converter (KTF-2 filter glass) were used in order to extend the life time of the laser equipment. The pulse width of the main discharge current was measured to be 6 μs for a 200-μs prepulse. We measured the laser energy as a function of shot number. The results have shown that the life time of the flashlamps was 105 shots, and that the double step simmer circuit did not only increase the life timeof the flashlamps but also improved the pumping efficiency. The characteristic influence of the KTF-2 filter glass was a red shift of the spectra emitted by the flashlamps, which avoids damage of the laser crystal and improves its absorption efficiency.