Theoretical and experimental investigation of a waveguide CO2 laser with radio-frequency excitation

A comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the optimization of a continuous-wave radiofrequency (rf) excited CO2 waveguide laser is presented. The numerical simulation includes the modelling of the gas-discharge plasma parameters like the plasma impedance and energy deposition, the laser kinetics and finally the influence of the resonator feedback on the lasing process. Along with this theoretical study, an extensive experimental research program enabled us to optimize the laser performance of the CO2 waveguide laser. As a result, a total output power of 42 W and a specific output power of 1.1 W/cm were obtained.