Microarcs as a termination mechanism of optical pulses in electric-discharge-excited KrF excimer lasers

A theoretical investigation is conducted of both macroscopic (<or=mm's to cm's) and microscopic (<100's mu m) nonuniformities in electric field, preionization density, and halogen density as precursors to arcs and microarcs in KrF lasers. Macroscopic nonuniformities lead to volu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	IEEE transactions on plasma science Vol. 19; no. 2; pp. 387 - 399
Main Author:	Kushner, M.J.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	New York, NY IEEE 01-04-1991 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Subjects:	426002 - Engineering- Lasers & Masers- (1990-) CURRENTS ELECTRIC ARCS ELECTRIC CURRENTS ELECTRIC DISCHARGES ELECTRIC FIELDS ELEMENTS ENGINEERING Exact sciences and technology EXCIMER LASERS FLUORIDES FLUORINE COMPOUNDS Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications) GAS LASERS Gas lasers including excimer and metal-vapor lasers HALIDES HALOGEN COMPOUNDS HALOGENS Impedance INHOMOGENEOUS PLASMA INSTABILITY KRYPTON COMPOUNDS KRYPTON FLUORIDES Large-scale systems Laser modes Laser theory Laser transitions LASERS Microscopy NONMETALS Optical pulses Optics Physics PLASMA PLASMA DISRUPTION PLASMA FILAMENT Power lasers PRECURSOR PRESSURE GRADIENTS Pulsed laser deposition PULSES RARE GAS COMPOUNDS Preionization Plasma Electric field Excimer Laser Optical pulse Electric discharge
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Summary:	A theoretical investigation is conducted of both macroscopic (<or=mm's to cm's) and microscopic (<100's mu m) nonuniformities in electric field, preionization density, and halogen density as precursors to arcs and microarcs in KrF lasers. Macroscopic nonuniformities lead to volumetric arcing. Microscopic nonuniformities lead to filamentary arcs and streamers. It is found that microarcs may terminate the optical pulse due to disruption of the optical homogeneity of the plasma prior to the collapse of impedance of the discharge. Small-scale microscopic inhomogeneities (<10's-100 mu m) develop into microarcs sooner than large-scale homogeneities (>10's-100 mu m) due to the higher pressure gradient afforded by their small size. Large-scale inhomogeneities, though, are ultimately more detrimental to the performance of the laser.< >
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States) National Science Foundation (NSF)
ISSN:	0093-3813 1939-9375
DOI:	10.1109/27.106837