Atmospheric-pressure CO2 laser with an electron-beam-initiated discharge produced in a working mixture

An atmospheric-pressure CO₂ laser with an electron-beam-initiated discharge produced in a working mixture is developed. The laser output energy of 18 mJ from a ~6-cm³ active volume is achieved. The laser operation with a pulse repetition rate of up to 5 Hz is demonstrated. The specific energy deposit of ~0.1 J cm^-3 is obtained in the CO₂:N₂:He = 1:1:4 gas mixture at the atmospheric pressure during a pulsed nonself-sustained discharge with ionisation amplification.