Superatmospheric X-ray preionized TE-CO_2 discharge unit

摘要

CO_2 laser system generating the train of approx 200 ps pulses with total energy up to 5 J was put in operation in General Physics Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences (IOFRAN) recently. Initial approx 100 ps 10.6 mum laser pulse with energy approx 10 muJ was regeneratively amplified in 5 x 5 x 5 cm~3 discharge volume X-ray preionized TE-CO_2 discharge unit developed and manufactured in D.V.Efremov Scientific Research Institute of Electrophysical Apparatus (NIIEFA) in cooperation with IOFRAN. The results on upgrade of this unit towards obtaining 10 atm volume self-sustained discharge in CO_2:N_2:He mixtures with reasonably high percentage of molecular gases are reported. Owing to this upgrade free running mode laser radiation energy E_1 (when the unit was equipped with unstable telescopic resonator) at 6 atm was increased up to 22.2J, which corresponds to specific energy extraction 5.4 J/l/atm and efficiency 4.5percent. The estimated value of E_1 from such a laser at 10 atm is 15 J. It corresponds to peak power of regeneratively amplified 2 ps 10 mum pulse formed in master oscillator of laser system approx 1.5 TW. Prospective of further upgrade of laser system using new 10 x 10 x 100 cm~3 discharge volume 10 atm TE-CO_2 discharge unit which is under construction now in NIIEFA in the network of ISTC Project #1072 is discussed.