Electrooptically Q-switched CO(2) waveguide laser

A flowing-gas CO(2) waveguide laser whose cw output is 13 W has been electrooptically Q-switched repetitively at rates up to 108 kHz and, with a 20% duty cycle, up to 345 kHz. To extract power efficiently in the Q-switched mode, it is necessary to operate the laser at far higher pulse repetition frequencies than for low-pressure lasers. A simplified theory was used to describe this behavior accurately. The short-term (10-msec) frequency stability was measured to be less, similar200 kHz.