Continuous operation of a long-lived CO2laser tube

A sealed-off CO2laser tube was operated with continuous, almost constant, power output at 10.6 μm for more than 1000 hours. A Ni cathode that was maintained at 300°C acted as a catalyst to regenerate CO2back into the tube from the oxygen and carbon monoxide formed in the discharge. By the time 1100 hours of operation had passed, 92 percent of the original CO2concentration was still available in the tube.