Influence of self-interaction on the field structure of an electron-beam-controlled CO2 laser with an unstable resonator

It was found experimentally that small-scale inhomogeneities induced by radiation of duration greater than 3–5 μsec in the active medium of an electron-beam-controlled CO₂ laser with an unstable resonator resulted in a substantial modification of the field structure in the near-field zone during the pulse. This was accompanied by an appreciable increase in the local radiation intensity at particular times.