Abstract

The copper HyBrID laser is a variant of conventional elemental copper vapour lasers (ECVLs) which offers improved output performance and a number of practical advantages. The efficiency (1-3%), pulse repetition frequency (~20 kHz) and specific output powers are 2-3× that of ECVLs[1], and moreover, a markedly higher fraction of total output power can be extracted with near diffraction limited beam quality when using high magnification axial unstable resonators (>60%[2]). Lasant Cu atoms are produced in the discharge of the Cu HyBrID by dissociation of copper bromide that is formed by the reaction of solid copper pieces placed along the floor of the discharge tube with a continuous flow of HBr (and neon) gas. Though practical advantages arise with this method of copper seeding, including an operating tube wall temperature below the melting point of silica and output power that is fairly insensitive to tube wall temperature over the range 500-850°C (cf ECVLs 1500-1550°C), a serious disadvantage arises due to the requirement that high output power only occurs within a narrow range of HBr flow rates. A gas-handling system that provides careful metering of HBr gas is required which is not commercially attractive as HBr is toxic and highly corrosive.

© 1998 IEEE