Development, production, and application of sealed-off copper and gold vapour lasers

An analysis is made of the current state of the art of scientific and engineering advances in the field of repetitively pulsed self-heating metal vapour (copper and gold) lasers based on industrial, sealed-off, high-temperature, metalceramic and metal-glass active elements. The major applications of these lasers are discussed. The energy, spatial, and time characteristics of the lasers and their dependence on the parameters and construction of the laser active elements (tubes) and optical resonators are considered. The ways for the development of new high-power industrial laser active elements with a high efficiency (1 - 2%) and a service life of 500 - 1000 h are analysed. An average output power of 80 W was realised with a laser tube 150 cm in length and 32 mm in diameter. When the pumping efficiency is improved by raising the voltage to 30 - 35 kV, this system in a copper vapour laser will allow an output power of 100 W to be obtained with one active element. The characteristics of industrial versions of metal vapour lasers manufactured in different countries are compared and discussed. (invited paper)