Nitrous oxide waveguide laser

An experimental study was made of an N₂O waveguide laser with a BeO discharge tube with a diameter 2 mm. The dependences of the output power of the laser radiation on the density of the pump current and on the rate of circulation of gas mixtures of different compositions were determined. The maximum power near the 10.8 μ wavelength was 95 mW when the average pressure in the active medium was 2.9 kPa (the composition of the mixture was 4% Xe, 12% N₂O, 26% N₂, and 58% He).