Scaling of repetitively pulsed electric-discharge wide-aperture lasers

The main reasons that hamper an increase in the energy and average output power of wide-aperture electric-discharge lasers are analysed. The physical and technical requirements imposed on the laser chamber design and a pump source of the laser for the attainment of high technical characteristics are formulated. A laser design is proposed, which involves separate, electrically uncoupled modules arranged along the optical axis. A new design of the electrode unit underlies the working principle of the laser chamber of an individual module, wherein both electrodes are made of sets of plates electrically insulated from each other and connected to the common busbars of the pump source via stabilising inductors. Technical efficiencies of 3.5 % and 2.4 % for specific energy outputs of 4.2 and 2.9 J L^-1, respectively, were obtained in HF and DF chemical lasers with the above electrode units and electrode gaps of 12 cm. A design of wide-aperture electric-discharge lasers based on carrying cylindrical shells was proposed.