Waves in the flowing active medium of a high energy high repetition rate excimer laser

Applications such as long range communications, isotope separation, photochemistry and material processing have recently led to a strong development of studies in the field of potential high power short wavelength lasers. One way, which has been under investigation at I.M.F.M. for several years, is to use excimer capabilities. However, among challenging problems encountered in the scaling of these lasers, as soon as high average power and high repetition rate are contemplated, one is related to the active medium homogeneity and so to the quenching of aerodynamic disturbances induced by excitation of the active medium. In this paper, the results of a model adapted to predict transient phenomena induced in the gas laser by strong electrical excitation are presented and a brief description is given, of a new test-bed well fitted to study at a real scale this class of lasers. The excitation scheme is an avalanche discharge assisted by low density X-rays or E-beam. Preliminary experimental results are given.