Lumonics CO2 laser temporal profile

The temporal profile of the CO2 Lumonics laser is shown below. It was measured using a Vigo PEM L-3 detector. The time response of this detector is limited by the fall time which is of the order of a couple of nanoseconds.

The trace shows a characteristic spiked curve from a free-running CO2 TEA (Transverse Electrical discharge at Atomspheric pressure) laser. The short time scale spiked structure is due to the prescence of many longitudinal cavity modes giving a mode-locked type of pulse.

The larger spikes (~100ns time scale) are due to the laser acheiving population inverstion and the gain then being depleted several times. The most important feature for the generation of high charge-state ions is the initial peak of the order of 70 ns FWHM.

back to home... back to index of parameters prepared by Richard Scrivens 16th April 1999