906-0002-00 Rev 9 EN
2002
Rofin-Sinar UK Ltd
General Description 2 - 1
Section 2 – General Description
2.0 Description of Operation of the ROFIN SC x10
The ROFIN SC x10 laser is a high-frequency excited, diffusion-cooled CO
2
Slab Laser, designed for industrial use as a cutting, welding or marking
tool.
Figure 2.0-1
shows the principle of operation of the Slab laser. A laser gas
discharge (active zone) (8) is established between the waveguiding
electrodes (9) by a radio frequency voltage (5, 10). The rear mirror (7) and
output mirror (3) form the optical resonator. The laser beam (1) is produced
within the resonator and is emitted through a window (2). Water (4, 6) is
used to cool the electrodes.
Figure 2.0-1
Diffusion Cooled Slab Laser Layout
Due to the nature of the electrodes in a slab laser, the emitted laser beam
diverges at different rates in the x (free space) and the y (waveguide)
directions. In order to make the beam round it is necessary to reshape the
output beam using reflective correction optics. This can be achieved by
using single optical elements or a combination of cylindrical and spherical
optics.
