Nonself-sustained discharge in a CO2 laser with a plasma cathode

An experimental investigation was made of initiation of a nonself-sustained bulk discharge with a plasma cathode in the active medium of a CO₂ laser of 480 cm³ volume at pressures up to 0.5 atm. A combined preionization system, consisting of a plasma cathode resulting from a sheet discharge and a circuit for generating a short self-sustained bulk discharge, ensured an initial electron density of 2×10¹³ cm^–3. The nonself-sustained energy deposition in the active medium reached 340 J·liter^–1·atm^–1, the output radiation energy was 48 J·liter^–1·atm^–1, the efficiency was 15%, and the gain was 0.033 cm^–1.