Title :
Frequency chirp in a 10 ATM RF-excited CO2 waveguide laser
Author_Institution :
Norwegian Defense Res. Establ., Kjeller, Norway
fDate :
12/1/1988 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Various mechanisms causing frequency chirping in multiatmospheric-pressure CO2 lasers are discussed. The frequency chirp has been measured in a pulsed 10 atm CO2 waveguide laser. It has been found that the dominating cause of the frequency chirp in this laser is heating of the gas by the RF discharge. The chirp increases with increasing RF input power. The chirp levels off at about 100-150 MHz/μs for 25 kW of input power. This leveling off the chirp is believed to be due to the negative lensing effect of the gas density perturbation. The effect of the anomalous dispersion on the chirp is observed when the laser is operated at the flanks of the CO2 gain branches
Keywords :
carbon compounds; gas lasers; optical waveguides; 10 atm; CO2 lasers; RF discharge; RF input power; frequency chirping; gas density perturbation; heating; negative lensing effect; pulsed waveguide laser; Chirp; Frequency measurement; Gas lasers; Laser excitation; Laser modes; Laser tuning; Optical pulses; Pulse measurements; Radio frequency; Waveguide lasers;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
