One Meter KrF Laser System

Abstract

This interim report covers research directed towards efficient high power UV/visible lasers. The key issues being addressed are: (1) e-beam and e- beam controlled discharge excitation, (2) laser kinetics and modeling, (3) discharge stability and enhancement, (4) laser medium gain, adsorption and energy extraction and (5) intrinsic laser efficiency and scaling. Using e-beam controlled discharge pumping of a one meter KrF laser, 75 joules of laser output was obtained with 10% intrinsic efficiency at a specific energy of 10 J/liter. The use of an externally applied magnetic field to guide the e-beam is shown to effectively prevent e-beam steering by the discharge current and thus allow this excitation technique to be scaled to large laser apertures and very large single pulse energies. For efficient discharge pumping spatial e-beam energy deposition uniformity is shown to be important and methods of improving the deposition uniformity are proposed. Using pure e-beam excitation of XeF, a laser output of 36 joules was obtained with 2.6% intrinsic efficiency at a specific energy of 8 J/liter. Processes limiting XeF laser efficiency are identified and remedies proposed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 22, 1977
Accession Number
ADA051534

Entities

People

  • J. A. Mangano
  • J. C. Hsia
  • J. H. Jacob
  • M. Rokni

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Current Density
  • Dye Lasers
  • Electric Fields
  • Electron Density
  • Electrons
  • Energy Levels
  • Equations
  • Ground State
  • Kinetics
  • Krypton Fluoride Lasers
  • Laser Mediums
  • Laser Resonators
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Measurement
  • Optomechanics
  • Vibrational Relaxation
  • Xenon Fluoride Lasers

Fields of Study

  • Engineering
  • Physics

Readers

  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy