Industrial 30-kW CO2 laser with fast axial gas flow and rf excitation

Uwe Habich; Peter Loosen; Christoph Hertzler; Reinhard Wollermann-Windgasse

doi:10.1117/12.236892

29 March 1996 Industrial 30-kW CO₂ laser with fast axial gas flow and rf excitation

Uwe Habich, Peter Loosen, Christoph Hertzler, Reinhard Wollermann-Windgasse

Proceedings Volume 2702, Gas and Chemical Lasers; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.236892
Event: Photonics West '96, 1996, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

A CO₂ laser with fast axial gas flow was set up and operated with a maximum cw output power above 30 kW. The laser makes use of 8 rf-excited discharges which were optimized regarding to the gas-flow, to the discharge homogeneity and to the optical properties of the gain medium. Results of experimental investigation of these topics are described as well as performance characteristics of the laser system equipped with a stable and an unstable resonator, respectively. With an unstable resonator and an aerodynamic window for the extraction of the beam the laser system gives a beam quality which is close to the diffraction limit for this type of resonator. Disregarding the difficulties which are related to the definition and measurement of beam quality for unstable resonators, the beam quality could be described as M² equals 3. Measured far field intensity profiles in the focal plane of a focusing optics are presented as well as the beam propagation behavior near focus. First results of applications in materials processing are discussed.

Citation Download Citation

Uwe Habich, Peter Loosen, Christoph Hertzler, and Reinhard Wollermann-Windgasse "Industrial 30-kW CO₂ laser with fast axial gas flow and rf excitation", Proc. SPIE 2702, Gas and Chemical Lasers, (29 March 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.236892

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