COMPACT HIGH-EFFICIENCY CARBON-MONOXIDE LASER AT 1-KW

A fast-axial-flow, cryogenically cooled, carbon monoxide laser has bee n operated at 28% efficiency producing a continuous wave output power of 1.08 kW. The laser uses two cylindrical discharge sections, each 22 5 mm in length, which are excited by transverse radio-frequency fields at 27 MHz in a linear stable optical resonator. A specific power outp ut of 2.41 kW m-1 and an extraction power density of 9.41 W cm-3 have been attained by optimization of the transvese and longitudinal electr ode configuration. (C) 1994 American Institute of Physics.