Development of high-power compact copper vapor lasers

Martyn R. H. Knowles; Richard Benfield; Anthony Andrews; Andrew John Kearsley

doi:10.1117/12.380923

3 April 2000 Development of high-power compact copper vapor lasers

Martyn R. H. Knowles, Richard Benfield, Anthony Andrews, Andrew John Kearsley

Proceedings Volume 3889, Advanced High-Power Lasers; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.380923
Event: Advanced High-Power Lasers and Applications, 1999, Osaka, Japan

Abstract

Copper vapor lasers (CVL) are high power, pulsed, visible lasers capable of diffraction limited beam quality and kilohertz pulse repetition frequencies. Kinetic enhancement of elemental CVLs has been reported to significantly increase the output power and pulse repetition frequency range of a given laser architecture. This paper reports the performance of medium scale CVLs when kinetically enhanced using small partial pressures of hydrogen halides to the Ne:H₂ buffer gas. Kinetic enhancement increased the output power by factors of up to 2.5. Using a 1 X 0.025 m discharge tube, an output power of 60 W was achieved at 15 - 20 kHz and over 50 W at frequencies in excess of 30 kHz. Using a high magnification unstable cavity, over 35 W was achieved at close to the diffraction limit. Sealed-off operation of the laser with excellent power stability was also demonstrated. The combination of high power, visible, diffraction-limited beam with short pulse widths, high pulse repetition frequency from a compact industrial package is of great interest for a number of micromachining and advanced manufacturing applications. In addition it is an excellent source for generating high power, narrow linewidth UV (255 nm) by frequency doubling.

Citation Download Citation

Martyn R. H. Knowles, Richard Benfield, Anthony Andrews, and Andrew John Kearsley "Development of high-power compact copper vapor lasers", Proc. SPIE 3889, Advanced High-Power Lasers, (3 April 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.380923

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