Multifunctional 3-kW CO2 laser with controllable spectral and temporal characteristics for industrial and scientific applications

The multifunctional laser LOK-3MF has been developed on the basis of the CW laser with DC pumping and cross gas flow1. An optical resonator of the laser has been developed on the SFUR (Self Filtering Unstable Resonator) scheme2. High beam quality is provided by this scheme (full angle divergence is 0.7 mrad on 0.86 power level at beam diameter 30 mm). The laser generates 3 kW output power without any additional equipment. Besides, it is equipped by four accessory units in a feedback arm to provide a variety of operating modes. 1. Single-frequency CW mode with capability of monotone line tuning in bands of 9.4 micrometers and 10.4 micrometers (about 70 lines in all) with maximum output power up to 2.6 kW at line 10P20 and per-unit frequency instability of the order of 10-7. As it as been shown, there is a possibility to reduce a laser line width down to 50 kHz. 2. The mode with simultaneous two-wavelength lasing at 40 pairs of adjacent laser lines with maximum total power up to 2.5 kW. A simultaneous generation of 3 adjacent lines have been observed in 9R branch. 3. A mode with rapid tuning of the generation line (with about 1 microsecond(s) transition time) in combination with an opportunity to form any given spectral-temporal sequence. The generation spectrum and output power are the same, as in mode 1. 4. Repetition-rate Q-switching mode with high peak power (up to 800 kW) and the average one (up to 2.8 kW) with pulse repetition rate control in the range of 1-100 kHz. 5. The repetition-rate Q-switching mode in combination with line-tuning (such as in mode 1) has been developed for selective photochemistry and laser isotope separation. A selection of applications of the laser for material processing and for producing of a new variety of gas discharge - powerful optical pulsating discharge are presented.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.