Electron beam pumped gas laser
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorRussell Warren Dreyfus
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electron beam pumped gas laser includes an evacuated cavity adapted to house a lasing gas and an electron beam launching means (such as a field emission diode). Means are provided to insert a lasing gas into the cavity so as to produce a traveling density discontinuity. The diode is energized prior to the time the traveling density discontinuity reaches it so as to launch an electron beam under substantially evacuated conditions. The principles of the invention can also be applied to gaseous electron beam transport.
Claims18
An electron beam pumped gas laser having an electron beam launching means in an evacuated cavity which is adapted to house a lasing gas which laser eliminates the requirement for apparatus to physically segregate the electron beam launching means from the lasing gas, which laser further comprises:
- a reservoir of lasing gas, valve means connecting said cavity to said reservoir to allow said lasing gas to flow into said evacuated cavity, and
- means to energize said electron beam launching means at a time when two distinct regions exist in said cavity, a first region immediately surrounding said electron beam launching means which is substantially evacuated and a second region containing a quantity of gas sufficient to support lasing action when pumped by an electron beam passing therethrough.
An electron beam pumped gas laser having an evacuated cavity adapted to house a lasing gas with an electron beam launching means therein and a supply of lasing gas, which laser eliminates the requirement for means to segregate said electron beam launching means from said lasing gas, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a switchable means connecting said gas supply to said cavity to, when operated, allow said gas to flow into said evacuated cavity to produce a traveling gas density discontinuity, and
- means to energize said electron beam launching means when said gas density discontinuity reaches a predetermined location with respect to said electron beam launching means.
A device for transporting an electron beam in a gaseous atmosphere which eliminates the requirement for apparatus to physically segregate an electron beam launching means from said gaseous atmosphere, which comprises:
- an evacuated cavity adapted to house a gaseous atmosphere and an electron beam launching means therein,
- a reservoir of gas,
- valve means connecting said cavity to said reservoir to allow said gas to flow into said evacuated cavity to produce a density discontinuity,
- means to energize said electron beam launching means at a time when two distinct regions exist in said cavity, a first region immediately surrounding said electron beam launching means which is substantially evacuated and a second region containing a quantity of gas therein to assist in integral transport of an electron beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.