13.1 - High-power N2-CO2-He laser development

Several lasers with output powers ranging from 40 to over 100 W/m and efficiencies greater than 25 percent have been produced at Redstone Arsenal. The information obtained from these lasers has been used to design and construct a 180-foot-long N2-CO2-He laser which operates in the multikilowatt range with efficiencies and powers per unit length comparable to the smaller lasers of similar construction. This laser has been constructed in modular form. Each module is 9 feet, 8 inches long, and performance data were obtained as a function of length each time modules were added. The design and operating characteristics of these lasers are discussed, and also, the data which were obtained as a function of length are presented.