Compact electron-beam-controlled CO2 laser with sealed electron guns

An investigation was made into the possibility of constructing a compact electron-beam-controlled laser. The working gas was ionized by sealed IMAZ-150E tubes which projected 1.5×10¹² electrons into the atmosphere in 10^–8 sec. A laboratory laser system was constructed in which an electron beam was injected into a discharge chamber at right-angles to the axis of the main discharge. The dimensions of the active region were 1.0×4.5×26 cm and the size of the laser, including the pulse power supply of the electron guns, was 10×37×60 cm. When the pressure in the working mixture was 1 atm, the output radiation energy was 2 J and the efficiency was 20%.