Accession Number:

AD0839970

Title:

HIGH POWER GAS LASER FOR CS/NV APPLICATIONS.

Descriptive Note:

Final technical rept. 25 May 67-24 May 68,

Corporate Author:

RAYTHEON CO WALTHAM MA RESEARCH DIV

Personal Author(s):

• Deutsch, Thomas F.

Report Date:

1968-09-01

Pagination or Media Count:

50.0

Abstract:

The construction and performance of sealed-off CO2 lasers is described. Lifetimes in excess of 1000 hours have been obtained with several tubes. Powers of 60Wm and efficiencies as high as 18 percent have been obtained with N2-CO2-He-Xe mixes. The use of a self-heated nickel cathode, preprocessed with hydrogen, provides a source of hydrogen which cycles CO formed by decomposition back to CO2. The possibility that power increases previously attributed to increased relaxation of the lower laser level by water vapor may be due to the maintenance of optimum CO2 concentration by hydrogen is discussed. Author

Descriptors:

• *GAS LASERS
• CARBON DIOXIDE
• POWER
• LIFE EXPECTANCY(SERVICE LIFE)
• EFFICIENCY
• CARBON MONOXIDE
• XENON
• HYDROGEN
• SPECTROSCOPY
• PRESSURE
• QUARTZ
• WATER VAPOR

Subject Categories:

• Lasers and Masers

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE