| Summary: | A compact, high-pressure, UV-preionized TE CO₂ laser amplifier was designed and constructed. The amplifier uses a novel LC inversion circuit, with a single spark gap initiating both the main discharge and the preionization. The electrical and gain characteristics were studied over a range of pressures and gas mixes. The voltage inversion was 96% efficient, and discharge currents reached 13.5 kA with risetimes of 28 ns. At ten atmospheres, with a 3% CO₂ mix, the peak small-signal gain of the 9P(18) line was found to be 2.7 %/cm and the FWHM of the gain pulse was 500 ns. === Science, Faculty of === Physics and Astronomy, Department of === Graduate
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