Theoretical Analysis of Mechanisms behind the Influence of Hydrogen Admixtures on Lasing Characteristics of a Copper-Vapor Laser

A kinetic model of the active medium of a copper-vapor laser with hydrogen admixtures is developed. This model is tested against the available experimental data. A detailed analysis of different viewpoints on the improvement of lasing characteristics of a copper-vapor laser by hydrogen admixtures is provided. Hydrogen admixtures are shown to improve the lasing characteristics due to various mechanisms. In the case of low repetition rates of pump pulses, this improvement is due to the increase in the initial density of copper atoms in the ground state and the quenching of metastable states of copper atoms. For high repetition rates, this effect is associated with a decrease in the prepulse electron concentration and temperature.