Competition of Longitudinal and Transverse Modes in a CW HF Chemical Laser

摘要

Longitudinal and transverse mode competition in stable and unstable resonators of a single vJ-transition cw HF chemical laser were investigated. Single longitudinal mode operation in a long (greater than 2 meters) resonator was achieved, and asymmetric mode spectra were observed. These observations indicate that there is strong mode competition and a frequency-dependent loss mechanism caused by a limiting aperture and the effect of saturation of anomalous dispersion. From these observations, it is possible to measure the effect of saturation on anomalous dispersion in a high-power chemical laser. (Author)