Pulsed electron-beam-controlled N2O laser with 100 J output energy

An experimental investigation was made of the influence of the molecular (N₂, CO) and atomic (He, Ar, Xe) gases on the energy characteristics of a pulsed electron-beam-controlled N₂O laser. The active mixture composition was optimized. In a device having an optical volume V ≈ 10 liters at a gas pressure of 0.25 atm, the laser output energies were ~ 80 J (a specific output energy of ~30 J·liter^–1·atm ^– 1) for an active medium temperature T = 20°C, and 106 J (36 J · liter ^– 1 · amagat ^– 1) for T ≈ –30 °C (N = 0.3 amagat). An efficiency of ~ 10% was achieved.