One-color operation of an RE excited CO2 laser

The paper gives an algorithm for elaboration of the RF excited slab-waveguide CO, laser working on one chosen emission line in a pulse regime. The solution of the problem bases on an RF transversal excitation in a slab-waveguide laser structure and laser signature phenomenon. The structure gives a homogeneous distribution of the excited laser plasma along the electrodes. The plasma in the structure is stable and reproducible from the pulse to pulse comparing to conventional tube lasers, and particularly to flow dynamic lasers. On the other hand, the applied unstable kind optical resonator produces a single-mode operation by definition. It suppresses higher modes in the laser cavity. The only problem are parasitic "hooting modes" created along the waveguide direction - between electrodes. But usually they do not bring too much perturbations to a spectral contents of the laser output radiation. The problem of the one-color operation of the laser can be solved by careful selection of the laser signature. The paper shows the results of the experiments, and gives the methodology to design the CO2 laser in a pulse regime operating on one chosen emission line. Controlled two-color and multi-color pulsed operations are also considered. The results can be applied to design lasers for the trace gas analysis around of 10 or 9 mu m or other spectral devices. It can be also applied for material processing of the media sensitive for the wavelength of the laser radiation.