Abstract
An analysis of the causes restricting the frequency–energy characteristics of a copper vapor laser is carried out. The principal cause of the restriction is shown to be the high deexcitation rate of the higher laser levels into the ionized state. This involves a strong increase in the expenditures of energy for the population inversion with a rise in the electron density before the pulse and a high $Q$ factor of the discharge circuit at the end of the exciting pulse. The high Q factor of the discharge circuit is responsible for the oscillatory process of energy dissipation within the time spacing between pulses. This energy is stored in the reactive component of impedance of the discharge tube during the excitation pulse. The oscillatory dissipation defines a slow relaxation of the lower laser levels within the time spacing between the pulses. Analysis of the conditions of population inversion formation in a copper vapor laser shows that the active medium should be pumped in a two-pulse excitation mode to realize the energy potential of the laser of ∽1–2 kW/liter. The advantages of such an excitation mode over the traditional single-pulse excitation are confirmed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
G. G. Petrash, Usp. Fiz. Nauk, 105, 645 (1971).
A. A. Isaev, M. A. Kazaryan, and G. G. Petrash, Pis'ma Zh. Éksp. Teor. Fiz., 16, 40 (1972).
V. M. Batenin, V. V. Buchanov, M. A. Kazaryan, et al., Lasers Based on Self-Contained Transitions of Metal Atoms [in Russian], Nauchnaya Kniga, Moscow (1998).
C. E. Little, Metal Vapour Lasers. Physics, Engineering, and Application, John Wiley & Sons, New York (1999).
P. A. Bokhan, V. A. Gerasimov, V. I. Solomonov, and V. B. Shcheglov, Kvantovaya Élektron., 5, 2162 (1978).
P. A. Bokhan and V. A. Gerasimov, Kvantovaya Élektron., 6, 451 (1979).
A. V. Sokolov and A. V. Sviridov, Kvantovaya Élektron., 8, 1686 (1979).
V. P. Demkin, A. N. Soldatov, and N. A. Yudin, Opt. Atmosf. Okeana, 6, 659 (1993).
A. N. Soldatov, V. F. Fedorov, and N. A. Yudin, Kvantovaya Élektron., 21, 733 (1994).
A. N. Soldatov and N. A. Yudin, J. Russ. Laser Res., 16, 128 (1995).
A. N. Soldatov, V. B. Sukhanov, V. F. Fedorov, and N. A. Yudin, Opt. Atmosf. Okeana, 8, 1626 (1995).
A. G. Gridnev, T. M. Gorbunova, V. F. Elaev, et al., Kvantovaya Élektron., 5, 1147 (1978).
A. V. Eletskii, Yu. K. Zemtsov, A. V. Rodin, and A. N. Starostin, Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 220, 318 (1975).
V. E. Prokop'ev and V. M. Klimkin, Izv. Vyzov. Fizika., 21,No. 5, 152 (1978).
W. T. Walter, N. Solimene, and G. M. Cull, “Computer modelling to direct copper vapor laser development,” in: Proc. Int. Conf. Laser'80, New Orlean, Louisiana, STS Press, Mc. Lean (1980), p. 148.
V. F. Elaev, V. F. Soldatov, and G. B. Sukhanova, Teplofiz. Vysokikh Temp., 19, 426 (1981).
P. A. Bokhan, V. I. Silantiev, and V. I. Solomonov, Kvantovaya Élektron., 7, 1264 (1980).
P. A. Bokhan, Kvantovaya Électron., 12, 945 (1985).
A. N. Soldatov and V. F. Fedorov, Izv. Vyzov. Fizika., 26,No. 9, 80 (1983).
N. A. Yudin, V. M. Klimkin, and V. E. Prokop'ev, Kvantovaya Élektron., 28, 273 (1999).
Yu. M. Kagan and V. M. Zakharova, Zh. Éksp. Teor. Fiz., 22, 400 (1952).
S. E. Frish, Optical Spectra of Atoms [in Russian], Fizmatlit, Moscow (1963).
R. J. Carman, D. J. W. Brown, and J. A. Piper, IEEE J. Quant. Electron., 30, 1876 (1994).
V. M. Klimkin, Teplofiz. Vys. Temp., 23, 568 (1985).
A. W. Ali, A. S. Kolb, and A. D. Anderson, Appl. Opt., 6, 2115 (1967).
Yu. A. Piotrovskii, N. M. Reutova, and Yu. A. Tolmachev, Opt. Spektrosk., 7, 99 (1984).
S. V. Arlantsev, V. V. Buchanov, A. A. Vasil'ev, et al., Kvantovaya Élektron., 7, 2319 (1980).
N. A. Yudin, Kvantovaya Élektron., 25, 795 (1998).
N. A. Yudin, V. M. Klimkin, V. E. Prokop'ev, and V. T. Kalaida, Izv. Vyzov. Fizika., 42,No. 8, 57 (1999).
A. A. Isaev, V. T. Mikhkel'soo, G. G. Petrash, et al., Kvantovaya Élektron., 15, 2510 (1988).
S. I. Yakovlenko, Kvantovaya Élektron., 30, 501 (2000).
A. M. Boichenko and S. I. Yakovlenko, Kvantovaya Élektron., 32, 172 (2002).
V. F. Elaev, A. N. Soldatov, and N. A. Yudin, Opt. Atmosf. Okeana, 9, 169 (1996).
K. I. Zemskov, A. A. Isaev, and G. G. Petrash, Kvantovaya Élektron., 27, 183 (1999).
A. S. Skripnichenko, A. N. Soldatov, and N. A. Yudin, J. Russ. Laser Res., 16, 134 (1995).
P. A. Bokhan and D. E. Zakrevskii, Kvantovaya Élektron., 32, 602 (2002).
D. R. Jones, A. Maitland, and C. E. Little, IEEE J. Quantum Electron., QE-30, 2385 (1994).
C. E. Webb and G. P. Hogan, “Copper Laser Kinetics — A Comparative Study,” in: C. E. Little and N. V. Sabotinov (Eds.), Pulsed Metal Vapour Lasers, Kuwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht (1996), p. 29.
G. P. Hogan, C. E. Webb, C. G. Whyte, and C. E. Little, “Experimental Studies of CVL Kinetics,” in: C. E. Little and N. V. Sabotinov (Eds.), Pulsed Metal Vapour Lasers, Kuwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht (1996), p. 67.
A. A. Isaev, M. A. Kazaryan, and A. A. Petrash, Kvantovaya Élektron., 18, 112 (1973).
P. A. Bokhan and E. I. Molodykh, “Output Limiting Mechanism and the Prospects for Metal Vapor Lasers with Average Output Power of ~ 1 kW/m,” in: C. E. Little and N. V. Sabotinov (Eds.), Pulsed Metal Vapour Lasers, Kuwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht (1996), p. 137.
T. B. Fogel'son, L. N. Breusova, and L. N. Vagin, Pulse Hydrogen Thyratrons [in Russian], Sovetskoe Radio, Moscow (1974).
V. A. Kel'man, I. I. Klimovskii, V. Yu. Fuchko, and I. P. Zapesochnyi, “Study of the Specific Features of the Thyratron Operation in the Excitation Circuit of a Copper Vapor Laser” [in Russian], Preprint No. 85-16 of the Kiev Institute of Nuclear Research, Kiev (1985).
N. A. Yudin, Kvantovaya Élektron., 32, 815 (2002).
V. V. Zubov, N. A. Lyabin, V. I. Mishin, et al., Kvantovaya Élektron., 10, 1908 (1983).
D. Chatroux and J. Maury, Laser Isotope Separation, Proc. SPIE, 1859, 145 (1993).
N. A. Lyabin, A. D. Chursin, and M. S. Domanov, Izv. Vyzov. Fizika., 42,No. 8, 67 (1999).
R. P. Mildren, G. D. Marshall, M. J. Withford, et al., IEEE J. Quantum Electron., 39, 773 (2003).
P. A. Bokhan, A. N. Mal'tsev, and V. I. Silantiev, “A new mechanism for limiting generation mean-power of metal vapor pulse lasers,” in: Book of Abstracts of IX Conf. on Quantum Electronics and Nonlinear Optics (April 23–26, Poznan, Poland), Poznan (1980), p. 333.
N. A. Lyabin, Opt. Atmosf. Okeana, 3, 258 (2000).
M. A. Kazaryan, I. S. Kolokolov, N. A. Lyabin, et al., Laser Phys., 12, 1281 (2002).
R. P. Mildren and J. A. Piper, Opt. Lett., 28, 1936 (2003).
A. M. Boichenko, G. S. Evtushenko, S. I. Yakovlenko, and O. V. Zhdaneev, Laser Phys., 13, 1231 (2003).
A. M. Boichenko, G. S. Evtushenko, O. V. Zhdaneev, and S. I. Yakovlenko, Opt. Atmosf. Okeana, 13, 751 (2003).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kazaryan, M.A., Lyabin, N.A. & Yudin, N.A. Prospects for Further Development of Self-Heated Lasers on the Self-Contained Transitions of a Copper Atom. Journal of Russian Laser Research 25, 267–297 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JORR.0000026784.74051.6b
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JORR.0000026784.74051.6b