FREE-OSCILLATION STIMULATED EMISSION FROM AN ELECTRIC-DISCHARGE CO2 LASER IN THE NANOSECOND RANGE OF PULSE DURATIONS.

A theoretical and experimenal investigation was made of the possibility of generating light pulses of energy of the order of 1J and nanosecond duration in a freely oscillating CO//2 laser. The pulses obtained were of similar 10 nsec duration when the laser efficiency was similar 8%. It was found that the pulse duration depended on the composition of the gas mixture (the CO//2:N//2:He equals 1:0. 5:3 mixture was found to be optimal), resonator length, transparency of the exit mirror, and excess of the total gain of the active medium above the losses.