Abstract: A method and apparatus for convection control of metallic halide vapor density in a metallic halide laser (10). More particularly, an apparatus is disclosed wherein a reservoir (48) containing copper chloride (62), which in the exemplary embodiment is the metallic halide chosen, is heated so that the copper chloride is maintained in a liquid form. The apparatus includes a means for flowing a buffer gas, which in the exemplary embodiment is neon, over the liquid copper chloride to provide a mixture of copper chloride vapor and neon (72') above the liquid copper chloride. A conduit (50) for providing fluid communication between the reservoir (68) containing the copper chloride vapor/neon mixture and the laser (10) is also included. The copper chloride vapor density in the laser is related to the liquid copper chloride temperature and the neon flow rate through the reservoir (68).

Abstract: A high power metallic halide laser capable of providing 300 watts of output power. More specifically, a laser amplification system is disclosed whereby a metallic halide vapor such as copper chloride (Cu.sub.3 Cl.sub.3) is caused to flow through a laser amplifier (10) and a heat exchanger means (24) in a closed loop system whereby the flow rate is altered to control the temperature rise across the length of the laser amplifier. In the copper chloride laser described in an exemplary embodiment, the copper atoms within the laser amplifier should not exceed a temperature of 3000.degree. K. so that the number of copper atoms in the metastable state will not be high enough to prevent amplification in the amplifier. In addition, a molecular dissociation apparatus (20) is provided at the input to the laser amplifier for dissociating the copper chloride into copper atoms and ions and chlorine atoms and ions.