Characteristics of a hollow-core distributed feedback CO2laser

Using perturbation theory and a plane wave analysis, the scattering amplitudes and coupling coefficients for a planar, hollow-core, double grating distributed feedback (DFB) waveguide laser are derived. Waveguide reflectivity has been compared for a single and double grating waveguide configuration. For a waveguide dimension of 100 μm over a 10 cm length, reflectivity is enhanced from 75 percent for a single grating to 98 percent using a double grating configuration. Included in this analysis is the effect of phase relationship between the two gratings. Using this analysis a means has been devised whereby reflectivity of the DFB waveguide may be optimized during operation of the laser. With the double grating configuration, coupling is enhanced such that a greater plate separation is possible in nearly all cases. Use of a double grating allows the plate separation of the waveguide to be increased from 80 to 100 μm, reducing total waveguide loss from 15.9 to 8.1 dB/m. These results have led to a method of solving heretofore prohibitive characteristics of single grating hollow-core DFB waveguides. Formal relationships for the waveguide parameters where a double grating configuration is used have been presented for designing hollow-core DFB waveguide lasers operating at 10.6 μm.