Towards a triggerable switchless TEA CO2 laser

Abstract The possibility of triggering a switch-less TE gas laser has been experimentally explored. To this end, the parallel spark preioniser array that functions as a switch of the switch-less laser has been optically triggered by transporting UV photons from the triggering discharge by means of an optical fiber. The maximum triggerable range was studied as a function of the number of spark channels in the triggering discharge and the gas composition in the triggered parallel spark preioniser.