Influence of the polarization of CO2 laser radiation on the geometric parameters of a molten region in welding of metals

It was found experimentally that when the plane of oscillations of the electric vector of laser radiation was parallel to the direction of welding, the depth of the molten region increased compared with the case when the same plane was oriented at right-angles to the welding direction. The depth of the melt increased by a factor of 1.7. In the absence of a polarizing component in the resonator it was found that the state of the polarization of laser radiation was influenced by the radiation reflected by the workpiece back to the resonator.