The Effects of High Voltage Coaxial Cable Parameters on Copper Vapor Laser Performance

This paper aims to describe the effects of high voltage coaxial cable (RG 220) parameters on copper vapor laser (CVL) performance. Fast rise time, high voltage pulse to CVL is provided from pulsed power supply through high voltage coaxial cable. As the length of coaxial cable changes its parameters like inductances, capacitances and resistances affects the performance of CVL. Experimental studies will be carried out using 2 m and 5 m high voltage coaxial cable. In copper vapor lasers, a fast electric discharge directly excites metal atoms, the high repetition rates permitting high average power output. It is a high gain pulse laser system with short inversion time. Overall wall plug efficiency is about 1% for these lasers, the highest for visible gas lasers. The major challenge is to achieve the desired output rise time and high voltage output with required for optimum CVL output. Experimental results of coaxial cable show how an electromagnetic wave propagates in an electrical conductor and distort waveform due to several parameters such as propagation delay, reflection coefficient and attenuation.