Flashlamp-pumped pulse-periodic dye lasers

An investigation was made of the efficiency of a number of flashlamp systems designed for electrically and spectrally matched pumping of dye lasers. The optimal system for pulse-periodic lasers with an average output power up to 10 W consisted of one tubular flashlamp and an elliptic pump enclosure with polished internal walls. An efficient pulse-periodic dye laser was designed and constructed. It operated at a pulse repetition frequency up to 10 Hz, the average power was ~ 6 W, and the efficiency was in excess of 0.5%.