Investigation of a pulsed lead vapor laser operating at high excitation pulse repetition frequencies

An investigation was made of the influence of the excitation pulse repetition frequency, in the range 4—40 kHz, on the output characteristics and on the excitation pulse parameters of a selfheated lead vapor laser. The gas temperature in different excitation regimes was estimated. The possible mechanisms limiting the pulse repetition frequency were analyzed. An average laser output power of 4.4 W, at an efficiency of ~0.2%, was obtained from a 1.6-cm-diameter 120 cm³ tube excited at a pulse repetition frequency of 40 kHz.