Design and performance of a transverse discharge, UV-preionized mercury-bromide laser

C. J. Zietkiewicz; B. A. Knecht; C. M. Herring; N. P. Ostrom; J. G. Eden

doi:10.1023/A:1020427418699

Design and performance of a transverse discharge, UV-preionized mercury-bromide laser

C. J. Zietkiewicz, B. A. Knecht, C. M. Herring, N. P. Ostrom, J. G. Eden

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The design, construction, and operating characteristics of a pulsed, transverse discharge-pumped HgBr laser, capable of operation at pulse repetition frequencies as high as 100 Hz, are presented. Having an active length of 53 cm, this laser system is preionized by two sets of spark arrays and average single pulse energies of 55 mJ are produced from Ne/N₂/HgBr₂ (natural abundance) vapor mixtures, with an output coupling of 50% and ∼17 J of energy stored in the pulse forming network. Based on measurements of the laser pulse energy for several values of cavity output coupling, the small signal gain coefficient and saturation intensity for the laser were determined to be 4.7% cm^-1 and 260 kW cm^-2, respectively. The single pass gain-to-loss ratio is 12.4.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1031-1044
Number of pages	14
Journal	Optical and Quantum Electronics
Volume	34
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020427418699
State	Published - Oct 2002

Keywords

HgBr laser
Laser design
Laser performance

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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10.1023/A:1020427418699

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title = "Design and performance of a transverse discharge, UV-preionized mercury-bromide laser",

abstract = "The design, construction, and operating characteristics of a pulsed, transverse discharge-pumped HgBr laser, capable of operation at pulse repetition frequencies as high as 100 Hz, are presented. Having an active length of 53 cm, this laser system is preionized by two sets of spark arrays and average single pulse energies of 55 mJ are produced from Ne/N2/HgBr2 (natural abundance) vapor mixtures, with an output coupling of 50% and ∼17 J of energy stored in the pulse forming network. Based on measurements of the laser pulse energy for several values of cavity output coupling, the small signal gain coefficient and saturation intensity for the laser were determined to be 4.7% cm-1 and 260 kW cm-2, respectively. The single pass gain-to-loss ratio is 12.4.",

keywords = "HgBr laser, Laser design, Laser performance",

author = "Zietkiewicz, {C. J.} and Knecht, {B. A.} and Herring, {C. M.} and Ostrom, {N. P.} and Eden, {J. G.}",

note = "Funding Information: The expert assistance of K. Collier and K. Kuehl and the advice and components provided by Drs. E.J. Schimitschek and C.S. Liu are gratefully acknowledged. This work was supported by the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Office of Naval Research.",

year = "2002",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1023/A:1020427418699",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "34",

pages = "1031--1044",

journal = "Optical and Quantum Electronics",

issn = "0306-8919",

publisher = "Springer",

number = "10",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Design and performance of a transverse discharge, UV-preionized mercury-bromide laser

AU - Zietkiewicz, C. J.

AU - Knecht, B. A.

AU - Herring, C. M.

AU - Ostrom, N. P.

AU - Eden, J. G.

N1 - Funding Information: The expert assistance of K. Collier and K. Kuehl and the advice and components provided by Drs. E.J. Schimitschek and C.S. Liu are gratefully acknowledged. This work was supported by the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Office of Naval Research.

PY - 2002/10

Y1 - 2002/10

N2 - The design, construction, and operating characteristics of a pulsed, transverse discharge-pumped HgBr laser, capable of operation at pulse repetition frequencies as high as 100 Hz, are presented. Having an active length of 53 cm, this laser system is preionized by two sets of spark arrays and average single pulse energies of 55 mJ are produced from Ne/N2/HgBr2 (natural abundance) vapor mixtures, with an output coupling of 50% and ∼17 J of energy stored in the pulse forming network. Based on measurements of the laser pulse energy for several values of cavity output coupling, the small signal gain coefficient and saturation intensity for the laser were determined to be 4.7% cm-1 and 260 kW cm-2, respectively. The single pass gain-to-loss ratio is 12.4.

AB - The design, construction, and operating characteristics of a pulsed, transverse discharge-pumped HgBr laser, capable of operation at pulse repetition frequencies as high as 100 Hz, are presented. Having an active length of 53 cm, this laser system is preionized by two sets of spark arrays and average single pulse energies of 55 mJ are produced from Ne/N2/HgBr2 (natural abundance) vapor mixtures, with an output coupling of 50% and ∼17 J of energy stored in the pulse forming network. Based on measurements of the laser pulse energy for several values of cavity output coupling, the small signal gain coefficient and saturation intensity for the laser were determined to be 4.7% cm-1 and 260 kW cm-2, respectively. The single pass gain-to-loss ratio is 12.4.

KW - HgBr laser

KW - Laser design

KW - Laser performance

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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036804127&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1023/A:1020427418699

DO - 10.1023/A:1020427418699

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0036804127

SN - 0306-8919

VL - 34

SP - 1031

EP - 1044

JO - Optical and Quantum Electronics

JF - Optical and Quantum Electronics

IS - 10

ER -

Design and performance of a transverse discharge, UV-preionized mercury-bromide laser

Abstract

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