High-power metal halide vapour lasers oscillating in deep ultraviolet, visible and middle infrared spectral ranges

Middle infrared and deep ultraviolet high-power high-beam-quality stable-operating He-SrBr₂ and Cu⁺ Ne-CuBr lasers excited in nanosecond pulsed longitudinal discharge are developed, patented and studied. Optimal discharge conditions, such as active zone diameter, vapour pressure, buffer-gas pressure, electrical excitation scheme parameters, average input power and pulse repetition frequency, are found. The highest output laser parameters are obtained for the Sr atom and Cu⁺ lasers, respectively. These lasers equipped with optical systems for the control of laser radiation parameters are used in a large variety of applications, such as precise material microprocessing, including biological tissues, determination of linear optical properties of different newly developed materials, laser-induced modification of conductive polymers and laser-induced fluorescence in wide-gap semiconductors, instead of free electron and excimer lasers, respectively. A master oscillator-power amplifier system, which is based on a high-beam-quality high-power CuBr vapour laser and is equipped with an optic system for laser beam control and with the X-Y stage controlled by adequate software as well, is developed and used in high-precision micromachining of samples made of nickel and tool steel.