Working Principle of CO₂ Laser Tubes
⚡ A CO₂ Laser Tube is a gas laser device that generates high-power infrared laser light, mainly used for non-metal cutting, engraving, and marking.
🔬 Inside the sealed glass tube, a mixture of carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen (N₂), and helium (He) is filled. When a high-voltage current is applied, gas molecules are excited to a high-energy state. Nitrogen molecules first absorb electrical energy and then transfer this energy to CO₂ molecules efficiently.
🌀 As excited CO₂ molecules return to a lower energy level, they release photons with a wavelength of 10.6 μm. These photons oscillate back and forth between the total reflector and the output mirror at both ends, forming stimulated radiation amplification. Finally, a stable and concentrated laser beam is output through the semi-transparent mirror.
💧 To ensure stable performance, most CO₂ laser tubes rely on water cooling to dissipate heat generated during discharge. With high electro-optical conversion efficiency and good beam quality, they have become widely used in laser processing equipment.