Pulsed CO2 laser with an X-ray preioniser based on a high-voltage low-pressure glow discharge

An X-ray preioniser with an electron beam energy density of 0.1 J cm^-2 based on a high-voltage (20 – 40 kV) low-pressure glow discharge is developed for repetitively pulsed gas lasers. The electron concentration in the CO₂ – N₂ – He mixture as a function of the voltage across the preioniser is calculated for titanium and other foils. The preioniser can be operated both in a single-pulse regime and at pulse repetition rates ranging up to hundreds of Hertz. A specific energy yield of 51 J L^-1 is achieved in the X-ray preionised pulsed CO₂ atmospheric-pressure laser. This preioniser was shown to be efficient for other active media (CO and excimer lasers), which opens up new opportunities for the development of repetitively pulsed gas lasers.