Laser amplifier for picosecond CO2 facilities of terawatt power level

• Published in: Plasma devices and operations 2008-03, Vol.16 (1), p.45-59
• Main Authors: Baranov, G. A., Kuchinsky, A. A., Tomashevich, P. V., Kotov, S. M., Vasil'ev, A. V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: High pressure; laser; Laser amplifier; Picosecond duration; Terawatt power; Volume discharge
• ISSN: 1051-9998; 1029-4929
• DOI: 10.1080/10519990701859196

In this paper the design features and the results of studying an amplifier for a picosecond terawatt CO 2 -laser facility are given. The active medium of the amplifier (a CO 2 -N 2 -He gas mixture) is excited by a self-sustained volume discharge. The amplifier with an aperture of 0.1 m×0.1 m and with an active medium volume of 10 l provides the possibility for amplifying the 10 μ m radiation of a picosecond laser up to the terawatt power level. A volume discharge at a pressure of 10 atm and at a molecular gas content of 5% with a power input level of 80 J l −1  atm −1 was initiated. The optical gain constant of a small signal of the amplifier active medium was 0.027 cm −1 at a pressure of 8 atm, which confirms the possibility of high-pressure amplifier use as a final amplifier in picosecond CO 2 -laser facilities with a power output level of 1-10 TW.