Formation of the beam profile in a plate electrode HF laser

The near-field energy-density distribution of a beam from an HF electric-discharge laser with an inductively stabilised discharge, an SF₆- and H₂-based active medium, and interelectrode gaps of 34 and 52 mm is studied. Plates 1-mm thick and 60- or 120-mm wide oriented at an angle of 30° to the optical axis serve as 60-mm-wide electrodes. Electrodes 30-mm wide are formed by 60-mm-wide plates also oriented at an angle of 30° to the optical axis. The distributions of the laser-radiation density in a resonator with flat mirrors and the discharge-emission intensity over the resonator cross section are studied. The distributions of the laser-radiation density in the near-field zone and the discharge-emission intensity have similar profiles. The arrangement of the electrode plates at an angle of 30° provided a considerable increase in the width of the lasing region. The FWHM of the laser-radiation distribution is ~80% of the electrode width for the both interelectrode gaps.