Long-pulse excimer integrated master-oscillator-power-amplifier optical cavity.

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Optical Engineering
• Excimer Laser Technology

Background:

• Long-pulse, wide-aperture electric discharge excimer lasers present challenges in beam quality and tunability.
• Efficient extraction of high-energy, spectrally pure laser radiation is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the performance of an integrated master-oscillator-power-amplifier (MOPA) optical cavity.
• To achieve efficient extraction of polarized, line-narrowed, tunable, and near-diffraction-limited radiation.
• To demonstrate high pulse energy and signal purity from a XeCl excimer laser system.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an integrated master-oscillator-power-amplifier (MOPA) optical cavity design.
• Employed an electric discharge excitation method for a wide-aperture XeCl excimer laser.
• Characterized the extracted radiation for polarization, spectral narrowing, tunability, and beam quality.

Main Results:

• Achieved high pulse energies of 600 mJ from a single laser.
• Demonstrated signal purity exceeding 95%.
• Successfully extracted polarized, line-narrowed, tunable, and near-diffraction-limited radiation.

Conclusions:

• The integrated MOPA optical cavity is highly effective for efficient radiation extraction from XeCl excimer lasers.
• The system offers a robust solution for generating high-quality, high-energy laser pulses.
• This technology enables advanced laser applications requiring precise spectral and spatial beam characteristics.