Electron-beam-controlled N2O laser

The development of a pulsed N₂O electron-beam-controlled laser (V ~ 2 liter) with a radiation energy, specific output energy, and efficiency (8 J, 16 J · liter^– 1 · atm^– 1, and 9%, respectively) substantially higher than the values known for electric-discharge N₂O lasers is reported. The addition of CO to an N₂O–N₂–He active mixture (or complete substitution of N₂ by CO) improved the energy characteristics of an electron-beam-controlled N₂O laser by more than an order of magnitude.