Experimental and computer investigations of slab waveguide rf-excited CO2 laser

Results of investigations of a slab waveguide rf-excited carbon-dioxide laser are presented. Laser output power of range 200 W and efficiency about 10% in a beam with near-diffraction- limit divergence has been achieved. In the repetitive-rate mode, the pulsed power was more than twice as much as the average one in the cw mode. After beam shaping telescope, the total beam divergence of 2 - 3 mrad at the 0.8 power level has been obtained. A codes package of computer simulation of cw slab rf-excited diffusion-cooled carbon-dioxide laser was created. Comparison of calculated and experimental data has been fulfilled.