Effects of tunable circuit parameters on pulsed discharge and input-output characteristics of a XeCl excimer laser

High-pressure, pulsed discharge-pumped XeCl excimer lasers are operating in the ultraviolet range at a wavelength of 308 nm. In this paper, a one-dimensional fluid model coupled to a magnetic pulse compression (MPC) excitation circuit and a laser gain model is established for describing the discharge and laser output characteristics of XeCl excimer lasers. The effects of the peaking capacitor Cp (the terminal of the MPC circuit) on the discharge properties and input-output characteristics are explored. The results reveal that Cp plays a key role in suppressing discharge pulse oscillation, which in turn influences the peak value and duration of the laser pulse. By optimizing the capacitance, a maximum excimer formation efficiency of 6.6% and a maximum laser output efficiency of 5% (output energy of 1.26 J) are obtained when Cp=1.12 Cs , where Cs is the storage capacitor in the MPC circuit.