LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Waveguide CO2 laser with a power per unit length of about 1 W/cm

Abstract

The electrical properties (the voltage, impedance, deposited power, and reflected power) of the plasma of a waveguide CO2 laser pumped by an rf discharge have been found experimentally and also by numerical simulation. The energy deposition in the active medium is optimized on the basis of the results. A record high combination of lasing power and efficiency for lasers of this type has been achieved: 36 W (about 1 W/cm) at 20.3%.