Q-switched chemical cw HF laser

The characteristics of a cw chemical HF laser mechanically Q-switched at a frequency of up to 1000 Hz are studied. It is shown that the peak power of laser pulses increases by a factor of at least five for modulation frequencies from 17 to 250 Hz. The mean output power in the repetitively pulsed mode is appreciably lower than that in the cw lasing mode, but, as the modulation frequency increases (within the same frequency range), the mean power rises more rapidly than the peak power does. The possible factors causing the revealed discrepancies between the experimental and calculated laser characteristics are considered.