Q-switched cryogenically cooled slab RF discharge CO laser

Compact repetitively pulsed cryogenically cooled slab RF discharge CO laser with double path V-type laser resonator equipped with external Q-switch system based on rotating mirror was developed and studied. The laser produced IR (λ∼5–6 μm) radiation pulses of −1+2 μs duration (FWHM), peak power up to ∼3 kW and pulse repetition rate up to 130 Hz. Averaged output laser power reached 0.4 W, the laser spectrum consists of ∼80 simultaneously generating laser lines with individual peak power up to 80 W.