DESIGN AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH PULSE REPETITION RATE AND HIGH AVERAGE POWER EXCIMER LASER SYSTEMS

This paper describes the design and the performance characteristics of an X-ray preionized discharge pumped XeCl laser system operated at very high repetition rate frequency and high average power (200 W). The laser system is mainly composed of a fast flow subsonic closed cycle wind tunnel, a laser head, a high average power electrical excitation system, and an X-ray preionization source. The laser head design and the dumping of acoustic waves induced by fast electrical energy deposition of 50 J/L bar allow this device to be operated at repetition rate frequencies of up to almost-equal-to 1700 Hz.