Experimental investigation of a supersonic cw chemical HF laser with a three-jet nozzle array

An experimental investigation was made of a self-contained supersonic cw chemical HF laser with a 40 cm × 11 cm three-jet nozzle array and the nozzle – nozzle – nozzle configuration. Such a nozzle array made it possible to form an active medium ~12 cm long and of high optical quality. The use of a wide-aperture stable optical cavity resulted in generation of a laser beam of square (11 cm × 11 cm) cross section. A specific output energy of ~80 J g^–1 was reached.