RF discharge slab carbon monoxide laser: overtone lasing (2.5-4.0 micron) and fundamental band tuning (5.0-6.5 micron)

Overtone lasing and fundamental band tuning was for the first time obtained in a slab carbon monoxide laser. The compact slab CO laser with active volume 3×30×250 mm3 was excited by a repetitively pulsed capacitive RF discharge (81.36 MHz) with pulse repetition rate 100-500 Hz. The laser electrodes were cooled down to 120 K. Gas mixture CO:Air:He at gas pressures 15-22 Torr was used. An optical scheme "frequency selective master oscillator - laser amplifier" was applied for getting fundamental band tuning. Single line lasing with average power up to several tens of mW was observed on ~100 rotational-vibrational transitions of CO molecule within the spectral range ~5.0 - 6.5 micron. Multiline overtone lasing was observed on ~80 spectral lines within the spectral range ~2.5 -4.0 micron, with maximum single line average output power 12 mW. Total output power of the slab overtone CO laser came up to 0.3 W, with maximum laser efficiency 0.5%. Results of parametric studies of the overtone CO laser including complicated time behavior for laser pulses on different overtone vibrational-rotational transitions are discussed.