SHORT-CAVITY HIGH-REPETITION-RATE CO2-LASER

We report on the construction and optimization of a TEA CO2 laser with a discharge volume of 15 cm(3) and cavity length of 20 cm. Such a sho rt cavity facilitates single longitudinal mode operation. A roots blow er is employed to achieve the necessary gas flow rate for high-repetit ion-frequency operation in a compact design. Output has been obtained at 1 kHz and a stable discharge to a repetition rate of 2 kHz has been demonstrated. The laser is part of a program aimed at the development of an efficient laser system for molecular laser isotope separation. Additional applications in materials processing are envisioned.