Small CO2 laser with a high pulse repetition frequency

A report is given of the characteristics and construction of a small CO₂ laser with a pulse repetition frequency of up to 1 kHz. In the course of the experiments the maximum radiation energy per pulse was found to be 0.29 J for a CO₂:N₂:H₂ = 5:5:1 helium-free gas mixture with a 30-ns radiation pulse duration and an efficiency of 17.7% relative to the energy deposited in the gas. The maximum number of laser pulses during nonstop operation was 7 X 10⁶ in a CO₂:N₂:He:H₂ = 1:1:4:0.4 mixture, but the experiment was terminated before lasing had ceased. There was also evidence of a considerable nonlinear influence of the energy deposited in the gas on the ultimate number of pulses, demonstrating the influence of the initial stability of the discharge on the laser service lifetime.