Characteristics of Gas Degradation in a High-Power 100 Hz TEA CO₂ Laser and its Long-Term Operation

Abstract

Using a 100 Hz TEA CO₂ laser with a gas recycler, we have made the experimental investigation of laser gas degradation over a wide range of operating conditions. It was verified that both the decrease in the laser power and the onset of arcing were closely related to the O₂ concentration. A simple and practical model was also developed to describe the O₂ production and accumulation by discharge in the laser gas. By providing a large-scale gas recycler based on the O₂ analysis, long-term operation was successfully attained with an average power of 500 W at a repetition rate of 100 Hz.