Abstract

In Cu ‘HyBrID’ lasers (also referred to as Cu-Ne-HBr lasers), the lasant Cu atoms are generated in situ as byproducts of discharge and surface reactions involving solid Cu pieces placed in the tube bore and a controlled amount of HBr gas additive. Though the principal role of the HBr additive is to generate free Cu, the HBr additive also has important positive effects on the plasma kinetics. Cu HyBrID lasers have yielded several fold increases in laser efficiency (>3%), high beam quality output power (>100 W) and optimal operating pulse rate (>17kHz) compared to conventional copper vapour lasers. These enhancements are primarily attributed to the acceleration of charge neutralisation during the interpulse period via the large HBr cross-section for dissociative electron attachment.

© 2000 IEEE