Abstract

Recent progress in high power, slab waveguide CO₂ lasers, using RF excitation, has achieved specific power output approaching 30 kW m^-2 and absolute laser output powers in the kilowatt regime. Using coherent imaging effects inside an all-waveguide cavity, stabilized high order, single mode operation has been attained from the slab waveguide laser.¹ Concurrent advances in multi-channel waveguide arrays have produced phase-locked operation of planar devices.² These parallel technologies make available coherent, planar array beams, currently with up to 19 elements at power levels in the 50 to 150 W region.

© 1994 Optical Society of America