Abstract

Copper vapor laser (CVL) is a cyclic laser whose lower laser level (²D) is metastable. The output power of a CVL depends not only on the excitation pulse waveform, but also on the relaxation rate of population of lower laser level. To find the method of increasing the output power of a large bore CVL, it is useful to investigate the spatial and temporal change of the gain during the excitation pulse and the population of lower laser level during the interpulse period.

© 1991 Optical Society of America