Calculation of the energy characteristics of an technological electroionization CO laser with turbocompressor cooling

The energy characteristics of an electroionization CO laser with turbocompressor cooling of the laser active medium to a temperature of about 100 K are calculated. Preliminary computations are presented which demonstrate the advantages of a cryogenic active medium with respect to the rate of specific power rise, threshold pump energy and steady-state relaxation loss. The dependence of physical efficiency on energy input is then illustrated for various pump powers and initial temperatures of 60 and 100 K, together with the dependence of the maximum physical and technical efficiencies at a given initial temperature on initial temperature at various values of the pump power for laser mixtures cooled to the desired temperature by a turbocompressor following ionization. It is shown that under optimal conditions, a pump power of 1 kW/cu cm amagat and an initial temperature of 90 K will result in a net efficiency exceeding 50%. Advantages of the use of CO rather than CO2 as a laser medium are pointed out.