Abstract

Research over the past twenty years has resulted in considerable advances in the understanding of waveguide resonator physics and the availability of compact, sealed, high-performance CO₂ lasers at power levels of tens of watts. Single element waveguide laser devices are characterized by values of discharge electrical power density which are very high (~150W/cm²) by comparison with conventional resonator CO₂ lasers or even with high average power lasers cooled by fast flow techniques. The challenge over the past few years has been to seek to exploit tire combination of high power density, high power extraction efficiency and operational convenience which waveguide lasers exhibit, by extending laser outputs to power levels in the range hundreds of watts to the kilowatt regime, for applications in laser radar and material processing.

© 1993 Optical Society of America