Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Design, construction and characterization of a fast axial flow continuous wave RF excited CO2 laser

Document Type : Scientific Note

Authors

K. Silakhori
R. Neshati
D. Esmailpour
F. Kazemizadeh
Z. Rajabi
M. Talebi
M. Ilchi
Z. Pourhasannezhad
S. Amin Naeemi

Photonic and Quantum Technologies Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O.Box: 14395-836, Tehran - Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2022.1144.1758
Abstract
In this work, a continuous wave fast axial flow RF CO2 laser has been constructed, which is pumped by a 1 kW RF generator with a 13.56 MHz frequency. In order to optimize the laser performance, the diameter of the discharge tube, electrodes width, the ratio of the width of the electrode to the tube perimeter, gas ratio, and total pressure of the gas mixture was changed over a wide range for a constant electrode length of 10 cm and then the laser output power and efficiency were measured. The maximum output power of 63.5 W, implying% a 6.3 electric efficiency, was obtained for 26 mm discharge tube diameter, electrode width to discharge tube perimeter ratio of 0.6, gas mixture, and 90 mbar total pressure..

Highlights

  1. J. Thomson, On the Discharge of Electricity through Exhausted Tubes without Electrodes, The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, 32(197), 321 (1891).

 

  1. A. Javan, W.R. Bennett Jr, D.R. Herriott, Population Inversion and Continuous Optical Maser Oscillation in a Gas Discharge Containing a He-Ne Mixture, Physical Review Letters, 6(3), 106 (1961).

 

  1. C.K.N. Patel, Continuous-Wave Laser Action on Vibrational-Rotational transitions of CO2, Physical Review, 136(5A), A1187 (1964).

 

  1. P. Smith, A Waveguide Gas Laser, Applied Physics Letters, 19(5), 132 (1971).

 

  1. A. Crocker, and M. Wills, Carbon-Dioxide Laser with High Power per Unit Length, Electronics Letters, 5(4), 63 (1969).

 

  1. C.O. Brown, J.W. Davis, Closed‐Cycle Performance of a High‐Power Electric‐Discharge Laser, Applied Physics Letters, 21(10), 480 (1972).

 

  1. J.L. Lachambre, et al., A Transversely RF‐Excited CO2 Waveguide Laser, Applied Physics Letters, 32(10), 652 (1978).

 

  1. K.D. Laakmann, Transverse RF Excitation for Waveguide Lasers, in: Proceedings of Int. Conf. on Lasers, 741-743 (1978).

 

  1. P. Laakmann, RF-Excited Gas Laser System, Google Patents (1997).

 

  1. L. Sutter, Gain-Switched Pulsed RF CO2 waveguide Lasers, in: SPIE 0227, CO2 Laser Devices and Applications, 2-5 (1980).

 

  1. G. Griffith, Transverse RF Plasma Discharge Characterization for CO2 Waveguide Lasers, in: SPIE 0227, (CO2 Laser Devices and Applications), 6-11 (1980).

 

  1. P.P. Chenausky, et al., High-Capacitance Parallel-Resonant RF-Excited Waveguide CO2 Lasers, in: Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (Europe, CLEO'82, Phoenix, Technical Digest), 88-90 (1982).

 

  1. P.P. Chenausky, E.H. Drinkwater, L.M. Laughman, Tuned-Circuit RF-Excited Laser, Google Patents (1982).

 

  1. G. Allcock, D. Hall, An Efficient, RF Excited, Waveguide CO2 Laser, Optics Communications, 37(1), 49 (1981).

 

  1. D. He, D. Hall, A 30‐W Radio Frequency Excited Waveguide CO2 Laser, Applied Physics Letters, 43(8), 726 (1983).

 

  1. Y.P. Raizer, Electrodeless Discharges of Average Pressure in High-Frequency and Frequency-Pulse Fields, Soviet Journal of Plasma Physics, 5(2), 408 (1979).

 

  1. V.I. Myshenkov, N.A.e. Yatsenko, Prospects for Using High-Frequency Capacitative Discharges in Lasers, Soviet Journal of Quantum Electronics, 11(10), 1297 (1981).

 

  1. N.A. Yatsenko, Investigation of the three-dimensional structure of a RF capacitance discharge, Journal of Engineering Physics and Thermophysics, 62(5), 530 (1992).

 

  1. A.J. DeMaria, T. Hennessey, The CO2 Laser: the Workhorse of the Laser Material Processing Industry, SPIE Professional Magazine, 1-27 (2010).

 

  1. A. Biswas, et al, Indigenous Development of a 2 kW RF-Excited Fast Axial Flow CO2 Laser, Pramana, 75, 907 (2010).

 

  1. J.P. Davim, et al., Some Experimental Studies on CO2 Laser Cutting Quality of Polymeric Materials, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 198, 99 (2008).

 

  1. M. Schmidt, L. Li, J. Spencer, Removal of Chlorinated Rubber Coatings from Concrete Surfaces Using an RF Excited CO2 Laser, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 114, 139 (2001).

 

  1. S. Al-Hawat, S. Shihada, Construction of a transversely excited slow axial flow radio-frequency CO2 laser at 13.56 MHz, Optics & Laser Technology, 69 (2015).

 

  1. D.S. Dumitras, CO2 laser: Optimization and application, BoD–Books on Demand, (2012).

 

  1. A. Colley, H. Baker, D. Hall, Planar waveguide,

1 kW CW, carbon dioxide laser excited by a single transverse rf discharge, Applied Physics Letters, 61(2), (1992).

 

  1. Y. Kawashima, In: Proceedings of FLS (Proposal of a Synchrotron Radiation Facility to Supply Ultraviolet Light, X-Ray, MeV-Photon, GeV-Photon and Neutron, 24-26 (2006).

 

  1. S. Banna, V. Berezovsky, L. Schächter, Particle Acceleration by Stimulated Emission of Radiation: Theory and Experiment, Physical Review E, 74, 046501 (2006).

 

  1. O. Sublemontier, et al, CO2 Laser-Driven Pyrolysis Synthesis of Silicon Nanocrystals and Applications, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 483, 499 (2009).

 

  1. P. Vidaud, S. Durrani, D. Hall, Alpha and Gamma RF Capacitance Discharges in N2 at Intermediate Pressures, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 21, 57 (1988).

 

  1. P.P. Vitruk, H. Baker, D. Hall, Similarity and Scaling in Diffusion-Cooled RF-Excited Carbon Dioxide Lasers, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, 30, 1623 (1994)

Keywords

Continuous wave CO2 laser
RF pumped CO2 laser
Fast axial flow

Main Subjects

  1. J. Thomson, On the Discharge of Electricity through Exhausted Tubes without Electrodes, The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, 32(197), 321 (1891).

 

  1. A. Javan, W.R. Bennett Jr, D.R. Herriott, Population Inversion and Continuous Optical Maser Oscillation in a Gas Discharge Containing a He-Ne Mixture, Physical Review Letters, 6(3), 106 (1961).

 

  1. C.K.N. Patel, Continuous-Wave Laser Action on Vibrational-Rotational transitions of CO2, Physical Review, 136(5A), A1187 (1964).

 

  1. P. Smith, A Waveguide Gas Laser, Applied Physics Letters, 19(5), 132 (1971).

 

  1. A. Crocker, and M. Wills, Carbon-Dioxide Laser with High Power per Unit Length, Electronics Letters, 5(4), 63 (1969).

 

  1. C.O. Brown, J.W. Davis, Closed‐Cycle Performance of a High‐Power Electric‐Discharge Laser, Applied Physics Letters, 21(10), 480 (1972).

 

  1. J.L. Lachambre, et al., A Transversely RF‐Excited CO2 Waveguide Laser, Applied Physics Letters, 32(10), 652 (1978).

 

  1. K.D. Laakmann, Transverse RF Excitation for Waveguide Lasers, in: Proceedings of Int. Conf. on Lasers, 741-743 (1978).

 

  1. P. Laakmann, RF-Excited Gas Laser System, Google Patents (1997).

 

  1. L. Sutter, Gain-Switched Pulsed RF CO2 waveguide Lasers, in: SPIE 0227, CO2 Laser Devices and Applications, 2-5 (1980).

 

  1. G. Griffith, Transverse RF Plasma Discharge Characterization for CO2 Waveguide Lasers, in: SPIE 0227, (CO2 Laser Devices and Applications), 6-11 (1980).

 

  1. P.P. Chenausky, et al., High-Capacitance Parallel-Resonant RF-Excited Waveguide CO2 Lasers, in: Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (Europe, CLEO'82, Phoenix, Technical Digest), 88-90 (1982).

 

  1. P.P. Chenausky, E.H. Drinkwater, L.M. Laughman, Tuned-Circuit RF-Excited Laser, Google Patents (1982).

 

  1. G. Allcock, D. Hall, An Efficient, RF Excited, Waveguide CO2 Laser, Optics Communications, 37(1), 49 (1981).

 

  1. D. He, D. Hall, A 30‐W Radio Frequency Excited Waveguide CO2 Laser, Applied Physics Letters, 43(8), 726 (1983).

 

  1. Y.P. Raizer, Electrodeless Discharges of Average Pressure in High-Frequency and Frequency-Pulse Fields, Soviet Journal of Plasma Physics, 5(2), 408 (1979).

 

  1. V.I. Myshenkov, N.A.e. Yatsenko, Prospects for Using High-Frequency Capacitative Discharges in Lasers, Soviet Journal of Quantum Electronics, 11(10), 1297 (1981).

 

  1. N.A. Yatsenko, Investigation of the three-dimensional structure of a RF capacitance discharge, Journal of Engineering Physics and Thermophysics, 62(5), 530 (1992).

 

  1. A.J. DeMaria, T. Hennessey, The CO2 Laser: the Workhorse of the Laser Material Processing Industry, SPIE Professional Magazine, 1-27 (2010).

 

  1. A. Biswas, et al, Indigenous Development of a 2 kW RF-Excited Fast Axial Flow CO2 Laser, Pramana, 75, 907 (2010).

 

  1. J.P. Davim, et al., Some Experimental Studies on CO2 Laser Cutting Quality of Polymeric Materials, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 198, 99 (2008).

 

  1. M. Schmidt, L. Li, J. Spencer, Removal of Chlorinated Rubber Coatings from Concrete Surfaces Using an RF Excited CO2 Laser, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 114, 139 (2001).

 

  1. S. Al-Hawat, S. Shihada, Construction of a transversely excited slow axial flow radio-frequency CO2 laser at 13.56 MHz, Optics & Laser Technology, 69 (2015).

 

  1. D.S. Dumitras, CO2 laser: Optimization and application, BoD–Books on Demand, (2012).

 

  1. A. Colley, H. Baker, D. Hall, Planar waveguide,

1 kW CW, carbon dioxide laser excited by a single transverse rf discharge, Applied Physics Letters, 61(2), (1992).

 

  1. Y. Kawashima, In: Proceedings of FLS (Proposal of a Synchrotron Radiation Facility to Supply Ultraviolet Light, X-Ray, MeV-Photon, GeV-Photon and Neutron, 24-26 (2006).

 

  1. S. Banna, V. Berezovsky, L. Schächter, Particle Acceleration by Stimulated Emission of Radiation: Theory and Experiment, Physical Review E, 74, 046501 (2006).

 

  1. O. Sublemontier, et al, CO2 Laser-Driven Pyrolysis Synthesis of Silicon Nanocrystals and Applications, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 483, 499 (2009).

 

  1. P. Vidaud, S. Durrani, D. Hall, Alpha and Gamma RF Capacitance Discharges in N2 at Intermediate Pressures, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 21, 57 (1988).

 

  1. P.P. Vitruk, H. Baker, D. Hall, Similarity and Scaling in Diffusion-Cooled RF-Excited Carbon Dioxide Lasers, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, 30, 1623 (1994)
Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
Volume 44, Issue 3 - Serial Number 105
October 2023
Pages 180-186

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