Effects of tunable circuit parameters on pulsed discharge and input-output characteristics of a XeCl excimer laser

Abstract High-pressure, pulsed discharge-pumped XeCl excimer lasers are operating in the ultraviolet range at a wavelength of 308 nm. In this paper, a one-dimensional fluid model coupled to a magnetic pulse compression (MPC) excitation circuit and a laser gain model is established for describing the discharge and laser output characteristics of XeCl excimer lasers. The effects of the peaking capacitor C p (the terminal of the MPC circuit) on the discharge properties and input-output characteristics are explored. The results reveal that C p plays a key role in suppressing discharge pulse oscillation, which in turn influences the peak value and duration of the laser pulse. By optimizing the capacitance, a maximum excimer formation efficiency of 6.6% and a maximum laser output efficiency of 5% (output energy of 1.26 J) are obtained when C p = 1.12 C s , where C s is the storage capacitor in the MPC circuit.