Relation of electric discharge parameters to short-pulse CO2 laser efficiency

A study is reported of the choice of the discharge and gas mixture parameters of an electron-beamsustained nanosecond CO₂ laser with the aim of achieving maximum efficiency. An analysis is made of the dependence of the efficiency of such a CO₂ laser on the composition and pressure of the gas mixture, properties and parameters of the discharge, electron and ion recombination coefficients, energy transfer between CO₂, N₂, and He levels, etc.