Optimization of power incoupling and statistical phase distortions by flow-shaping of fast axial flow CO2 lasers

Joerg Niehoff; Uwe-Klaus Jarosch; Peter Loosen

doi:10.1117/12.204965

31 March 1995 Optimization of power incoupling and statistical phase distortions by flow-shaping of fast axial flow CO2 lasers

Joerg Niehoff, Uwe-Klaus Jarosch, Peter Loosen

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Proceedings Volume 2502, Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers: Tenth International Symposium; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.204965
Event: Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers: Tenth International Symposium, 1994, Friedrichshafen, Germany

Abstract

In the development of fast axial flow (FAF) high power CO₂ lasers the increase of massflow and the reduction of phase distortions are of main interest in the realization of high output power with high beam quality. Both topics strongly depend on the layout of the flow system for the convective cooling of the medium. Reducing the pressure losses in the closed loop gas circuit guarantees an enhanced mass flow in the system. The element at the outlet of the discharge tubes is the place of the largest pressure losses in FAF CO₂ lasers. Optimized geometries have been developed to increase the mass flow significantly. The inlet into the discharge tube is of major interest due to phase distortions of the active medium. Besides stationary, statistical phase distortions strongly influence the output power and beam quality. The influence of inlet geometries on the flow profile has been investigated. The discharge stability could be clearly improved by new developed geometries. Measurements of statistical phase distortions under different flow and discharge conditions have been obtained. The work on optimizing the geometries enabled the enhancement of power incoupling into the discharge with an simultaneous decrease in the statistical phase distortions. Experimental results are presented.

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Joerg Niehoff, Uwe-Klaus Jarosch, and Peter Loosen "Optimization of power incoupling and statistical phase distortions by flow-shaping of fast axial flow CO2 lasers", Proc. SPIE 2502, Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers: Tenth International Symposium, (31 March 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.204965

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