Operation of a chemical laser as an amplifier

An investigation was made of the operation of a chemical laser based on a photoinitiated chain reaction of fluorine with hydrogen (deuterium) in a master oscillator – amplifier configuration. The experiments showed that it was possible to achieve an energy efficiency of ~100% in the amplifier. Studies were made of the spectral characteristics of the system and the divergence of the radiation was determined. Equations describing quasi-cw operation of a monochromatic laser were found to be capable of providing satisfactory quantitative estimates of the energy characteristics of the radiation from this chemical laser operating as an amplifier or in the free-running mode. The estimates agreed with the experimental results when the initiation power was varied.