CAPACITANCE ALLOCATION AND ITS ROLE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF DOUBLING-CIRCUIT PULSED GAS-LASERS - ITS APPLICATION TO THE N2 LASER

An investigation of the optical output for all possible combinations b etween the capacitances C1, C2 in a doubling circuit N2 laser is prese nted. The results show that a maximum optical output appears when C1 = C2 for constant total capacitance. The maximum value increases when t he total capacitance increases and the system approaches saturation fo r capacitance values higher than 20 nF each. This behavior of the opti cal energy is due to a similar behavior of the current, which becomes maximum when the best coupling of the two loops of the system is achie ved, through capacitance equality, and the oscillatory behavior of the system is minimized. When this equality is disturbed, either with wea k (C1 > C2) or strong (C2 > C1) coupling of the system, the current an d optical output decrease. In both cases the undesirable oscillatory b ehavior of the system increases. The electric parameters R1, L1 of the spark-gap loop and R2, L2 of the laser channel loop are calculated an d some peculiarities of L1 and R2 are observed in certain regions of t he plane C1 C2. These are attributed to very strong or very weak coupl ing that occurs in these regions. The results of this work can be appl ied to any doubling-circuit pulsed gas laser, such as excimer lasers.