Coupled Waveguide Gas Laser Research
Abstract
The overall objectives of this program were to study and develop an understanding of the characteristics of coupled waveguide gas lasers and to improve their operating characteristics. A flexible test bed laser was designed, fabricated and used to evaluate both ceramic and metal waveguide array structures. The strong tendency to phase lock with adjacent channels out-of- phase was confirmed. Metal waveguide walls were shown to produce power output comparable to ceramic walls. A simple metal slab laser was demonstrated with good discharge and good mode characteristics, and an unstable resonator was used to produce the lowest order cosine-Gaussian mode. A technique of coupling discharge channels with slots in the slab waveguide walls was conceived and shown to lock all-in-phase preferentially over the out-of-phase configuration. A concept for an all-metal, low-cost, microwave-excited waveguide laser using either a simple slab waveguide or the slot coupled array was developed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 15, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA252018
Entities
People
- Reynold E. Johnson
- William B. Bridges
- Yongfang Zhang
Organizations
- California Institute of Technology