Problems encountered in the development of 1-10-kw industrial lasers

The principal requirements on the high-power industrial lasers designed for cutting, welding, and various surface treatments (e.g., hardening, alloying, and surfacing) are reviewed, and the basic types of industrial CO2 lasers are characterized. These include fast-flow gas-discharge lasers with self-sustained or non-self-sustained discharges, gas-discharge lasers with diffusive cooling, repetitively pulsed gas-discharge lasers, and gasdynamic lasers. Engineering problems associated with the design and construction of industrial lasers are examined insofar as they relate to the pumping of the active medium, chemical composition of the active medium, optics, gas-discharge chambers, and laser control.