Back to results
US 4,169,251 AGranted
Waveguide gas laser with high frequency transverse discharge excitation
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorKatherine D. Laakmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Waveguide lasers are disclosed which are excited by means of a tranverse discharge at rf frequencies generally in the vhf-uhf range, i.e., from about 30 MHz to about 3 GHz. These excitation frequencies are sufficiently high to ensure negligible interaction of discharge electrons with the discharge-establishing electrodes, thereby achieving superior discharge properties which result in a laser of improved performance and reduced size and complexity.
Claims8
A waveguide laser comprising:
- means defining an elongated chamber of cross-sectional dimensions suitable for guiding laser light;
- a laser gas disposed in said chamber;
- and
- means for establishing an alternating electric field in said chamber along a direction transverse to the length thereof and at a frequency ranging from about 30 MHz to about 3 GHz to establish a laser-exciting discharge in said laser gas.
1 more element
A waveguide laser comprising:
- means defining an elongated chamber of cross-sectional dimensions suitable for guiding laser light and including first and second elongated electrically conductive elements disposed parallel to one another along opposing walls of said chamber and separated by a distance d;
- a laser gas disposed in said chamber;
- and
- means for applying a voltage of alternating polarity between said first and second electrically conductive elements at a frequency ranging from about v/2d to about 50v/d, where v is the drift velocity of electrons in said laser gas and having a value ranging from about 5.times.10.sup.6 cm per second to about 1.5.times.10.sup.7 cm per second, to establish a laser-exciting discharge in said laser gas.
1 more element
A waveguide laser comprising:
- means defining an elongated chamber having a rectangular cross-section of dimensions suitable for guiding laser light, said chamber having first and second opposing walls of electrically conductive material separated by a distance d and further having third and fourth opposing walls of dielectric material;
- a laser gas disposed in said chamber;
- and
- means for applying a voltage of alternating polarity between said first and second walls at a frequency ranging from about v/2d to about 50v/d, where v is the drift velocity of electrons in said laser gas and having a value ranging from about 5.times.10.sup.6 cm per second to about 1.5.times.10.sup.7 cm per second, to establish a laser-exciting discharge in said laser gas.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.