High-repetition-rate plate-electrode CO{sub 2} laser

A high-repetition-rate CO{sub 2} laser with the inductive-capacitive discharge stabilisation is studied for the first time. A multisection discharge gap of length 250 mm was formed by pairs of anode - cathode plates arranged in the form of a broken line. The width of the discharge region between each pair of the plates was {approx} 1.3 mm and height {approx} 12 mm. The cross section of the laser beam on the output mirror of the resonator was {approx} 6 x 8 mm. The maximum output energy of the laser using the CO{sub 2}:N{sub 2}:He=32:32:96 Torr mixture was 15.9 mJ, the lasing efficiency being 1.7%. For a relatively low gas flow rate of 19 m s{sup -1}, a CO{sub 2} laser pulse repetition rate of 3 kHz was achieved, the relative root-mean-square deviation of the pulse energy being within 5%. The average output power of the laser was {approx} 40 W. (lasers)