Experimental study on discharge characteristic of a UV-preionized TEA CO2 laser

The discharge stability is crucial to the application of a transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) CO2 laser. The dynamic discharge process of a UV-preionized TEA CO2 laser with a charge-discharge-circuit including an inductance was investigated experimentally. The results show that the transit from glow discharge to arc discharge is correlative with the rudimental vibration after the main discharge. Two methods are carried out to avoid the transition to arc discharge: one is to increase the charge inductance, and the other is to replace the charge inductance by a high voltage diode. Both methods can improve the discharge stability and increase the pulse energy effectively.