Gn. Tsikrikas et Aa. Serafetinides, THE EFFECT OF VOLTAGE PULSE POLARITY ON THE PERFORMANCE OF A SLIDING DISCHARGE PUMPED HF LASER, Journal of physics. D, Applied physics, 29(11), 1996, pp. 2806-2810
The influence of the applied voltage pulse polarity on the performance
of a HF laser pumped by a sliding surface discharge is investigated.
Details are presented for the polarity dependence of the discharge pro
perties as well as for their relation to the physical processes that a
ffect the sliding discharge evolution. The output energy and efficienc
y were higher when the initiating or stressed electrode was in relativ
e positive potential, irrespective of which electrode was grounded. Th
e experimental results indicate that for positive polarity the dischar
ge was more uniform, self terminating in type, with reduced electron d
ensity and temperature. The increase in output energy and efficiency i
s attributed to the improvement of the spatial uniformity of laser pum
ping, to a more efficient utilization of discharge input energy due to
an increase in the steady state discharge time phase, as well as to t
he reduced electron temperature and to the increased steady state volt
age which may also result in more efficient laser pumping.