Abstract
During the past decade there has been a steady increase in the number of industrial materials processing applications requiring a laser whose average power is ~1 kW. Most commercial carbon dioxide lasers of this power level use electric discharge (dc, ac, or rf) excitation coupled with convective cooling of the gain medium, achieved by the use of fast axial flow of the laser gas. Recently, the development of the concept of area scaling of the laser gain medium in the form of waveguide slab discharges, made possible by the use of transverse rf excitation techniques, has resulted in the achievement of high values of specific power (20-30 kW/m2 of slab area, Ref. 2). This approach now allows the achievement of kilowatt power levels in conditions where the gain medium is cooled by diffusion and involves no gas flow.3
© 1992 Optical Society of America
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