Hybrid resonator in a double-pass configuration for a chemical oxygen iodine laser.

A double-pass negative-branch hybrid resonator is applied to a 10 kW chemical oxygen iodine laser. The resonator is folded in such a way that the dimension of the stable direction is reduced. The intensity distributions of the near and far fields of the laser beam and the sensitivity against tilts of the output mirror are investigated. A comparison between theory and experiment is performed. It is shown that the folded hybrid resonator provides a better beam quality and therefore a higher power density in the far field than a single-pass hybrid resonator. The sensitivity against tilts of the resonator mirrors in the stable direction is reduced.