A magnetically stabilized radial discharge for a high-powered laser

Details of a new ’’magnetically stabilized’’ coaxial electrode system supporting a radial discharge geometry is presented. Performance was found to be largely independent of gas mixture and pressure such that high-power cw discharges were easily obtained in all the gases tested, including SF6. The technique is exceedingly simple and appears scalable to provide a very large active volume in an unusually small physical package. A cw power loading in excess of 40 kW/l has already been attained without experiencing any glow-to-arc transitions.