Simple longitudinally pulsed CO₂ laser and its application in single-mode operation of TEA lasers

We describe a simple longitudinally pulsed, low-pressure CO2 laser with peak power up to 1 kW and pulse duration about 100 μsec. Its relatively high gain allows lasing operation with output mirror reflectivity as low as 35%. It is especially useful as an intracavity gain section inside a high-power TEA laser for single-longitudinal-mode operation.