Electrically triggered multimodule KrF laser system with narrow‐linewidth output

摘要

A narrow‐linewidth multimodule KrF discharge laser system is described which is designed to be the front end of an electron‐beam pumped amplifier–Raman compressor high‐power UV laser facility. The discharge laser system consists of an intracavity triple étalon‐narrowed master oscillator followed by an injection‐locked slave oscillator and two single‐pass amplifiers. The master oscillator has 30 cm of gain length while the three remaining devices utilize 90 cm of gain length. The units are electrically triggered from a high‐voltage multitrigger pulse generator. The pertinent electrical parameters have been determined and are reported. Narrowband output (0.1 cm-1) of 1.6 J can be obtained in 20‐ns FWHM pulses. The small signal gain and saturation intensity of the 90‐cm amplifier modules were measured giving values of 0.115 cm-1 and 1.7 MW/cm2, respectively.