Laser system
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsEdward C. Malarkey, Robert P. Pautienus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas laser system utilizing a mixture of water vapor, hydrogen or hydrogen deuteride and nitrogen wherein molecular vibrations are excited in the hydrogen or hydrogen deuteride in an electric discharge and the vibrational energy is stored until, by means of near-resonant energy exchange collisions, it is transferred to the active laser water molecules. Nitrogen is added to stabilize the discharge and allow coherent emission at 4.6 microns with a theoretical efficiency of about 58%.
Claims4
A laser for producing coherent radiation comprising a pair of spaced-apart reflectors forming a resonant cavity for reflecting coherent radiation, an envelope disposed between the mirrors and having transparent end windows adjacent the mirrors, a gaseous mixture within the envelope, said gaseous mixture comprising water vapor, nitrogen and a gas selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydrogen deuteride, and means for exciting the gas mixture by electrical energy to raise the gas selected from hydrogen and hydrogen deuteride to its first metastable state, whereby laser emission in a range of about 3 to 5 microns is induced by vibrationally exciting the water vapor molecules.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.