CO_2 Laser Design Procedure

Abstract

A simple but powerful formalism is presented that allows one to physically design a sealed CO(2) laser of any specified fundamental transverse-mode output power. The design material presented, graphically whenever possible, also allows one to determine the effect on the others of varying one design parameter. Although the formalism presented is based on some empirical and some theoretical parametric interrelationships pertinent to the CO(2) laser, the treatment is general and with appropriate adjustments can be applied to other laser systems as well. The design of a 5-W sealed CO(2) laser is presented to illustrate the use of the formalism developed.