Spatial, temporal, and energy characteristics of copper vapor laser radiation

The spatial, temporal, and energy characteristics of radiation emitted by a copper vapor laser with a GL-201 commercial active element were investigated in the superradiant and lasing regimes using stable and unstable resonators. The total average output power was 26 W for a planospherical resonator, while for an unstable resonator with a magnification 200 it was 18 W, of which 10 W was contained in a beam with a diffraction-limited divergence. Using a similar active element as an amplifier, it was possible to increase the radiation power in the diffraction-limited beam to 30–35 W.