CO2 laser cold cathode research results

The construction and processing of four test lasers are discussed, and the test results are assessed. Tests show that the best performance was obtained from cathodes made from internally oxidized Ag-Cu alloys or pure Cu. Due to the cold cathode technology developments, sealed-off 1 w CO2 lasers with gas volumes of only 50 cu cm were duplicated, and have performed satisfactorily for more than 6000 hours.