Abstract: For increasing the laser damage threshold (LDT) of diffraction gratings, particularly of multi-layer dielectric diffraction (MLD) gratings, the invention proposes a method for treating a diffraction grating to be used in a high energy laser apparatus having a first laser with the steps of providing the diffraction grating, providing a second treatment laser and irradiating the diffraction grating with laser light from the second treatment laser until the laser damage threshold of the diffraction grating has increased. Furthermore, the invention proposes a diffraction grating treated according to the method, as well as a laser system, which comprises such a diffraction grating.

Abstract: An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output lig

Abstract: An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output lig

Abstract: The current invention involves a process for microstructuring surfaces of oriented polymeric substrates using laser radiation having an intensity which is spatially modulated in a predetermined periodic manner. The process is especially useful for microstructuring the surfaces of textile products and films.