Abstract: Dual waveguide lasers which are transversely excited in parallel from a con source of radio frequency are provided with one or more channels or bores connecting the laser cavities. The dimensions and configuration of the connecting channels are chosen so that the electric field from the applied RF excitation source will be higher in the connecting channels than in either of the paralleled waveguide gas discharge cavities, or that the electron collision loss to the nearby ceramic and metallic walls will be lower in the connectiong channels than in the aforementioned waveguide cavities. The initial gas breakdown is thus made to preferentially occur in the connecting channels and thus force initiation of both laser cavities simultaneously.

Abstract: An RF-discharge waveguide laser having two parallel waveguides is improved by the addition of coupling channels which permit the plasma in said waveguides to communicate.

Abstract: An RF-discharge waveguide laser incorporates two or more waveguides sharing a common set of discharge electrodes. The device may be used to provide two lasers operating on the same or different frequencies, or a single laser with two waveguides contributing to the power output.

Abstract: An RF-excited gas laser is improved by the addition of an inductor in parallel with a discharge resistance Rg and capacitance C.sub.wg to form a tuned circuit having a resonance frequency such that the real part of the complex impedance of the discharge chamber is matched to the output impedance of a driving oscillator and by the use of an input circuit that compensates for the imaginary part of the discharge chamber impedance.

Abstract: A method of fabricating CO.sub.2 waveguide type lasers of the type comprising a slot formed in a broad surface of a hard ceramic material, comprising grinding the slot in a conventional surface grinding machine in two steps. The first step utilizes a coarse grinding wheel and the second a finer grinding wheel. The resultant laser cavity can produce high optical power output when provided with RF excitation.