Long Life Operation of a Copper Vapor Laser

The operating life of a copper vapor laser (CVL) with a 6 cm diameter / 200 cm discharge length laser tube has been successfully extended and continuous operation for 320 hours at an output power of 75±10 W has been demonstrated. With a view to improving the long-term performance and reliability of CVL operation, this paper reports the experimental results of investigating the relationship between copper loss rate and buffer gas condition (flow rate and pressure). Also discussed are the optimum laser operating conditions for minimizing copper loss. Aveage thyratron life has also been extended to 1, 000 hours or more by using the magnetic assist technique for the CVL pulsed power supply.