Simultaneous generation of two independently tunable single-mode emissions from a hybrid TEA CO2 laser

Results of a parametric study of the operation of a dual-cavity hybrid CO2 laser system consisting of a common TEA section and two low-pressure gain sections are presented. While the laser pulse buildup time for each cavity was insensitive to the discharge current of the CW gain section, it changed by up to 400 ns on changing the gas pressure. This permitted generation of temporally smooth and synchronized emission pairs corresponding to various combinations of rotational lines belonging to the 9 and 10 micron vibrational bands. The observed dependence of laser pulse delay on gas pressure in the CW gain section is in good qualitative agreement with numerical results based on a simple phenomenological model.