Output characteristics of the MKL-10 multichannel CO2 laser

The output power of the MKL-10 high-power multichannel CO₂ laser has been optimized. The output divergence has been measured. A locking of the laser output at a power level of 7 kW has been achieved in practice. A threefold increase in the axial brightness of the light has been achieved through the use of a spatial filter.