Laser apparatus
AssigneeEnglish Electric Valve Company Limited
InventorsHugh Menown, Arthur Maitland, Graeme L. Clark
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Laser apparatus includes hydrogen or deuterium buffer gas and dispenser reservoirs which contain a hydride or deuteride as appropriate. As gas molecules from the buffer gas are lost within the discharge tube due to trapping and sputtering processes, hydrogen or deuterium is given off from the surfaces of the reservoirs at a greater rate to maintain the vapor pressure within the discharge tube at a substantially constant level. Thus the laser apparatus may operate in a "sealed-off" mode, that is without requiring that buffer gas be flowed through it.
Claims18
A laser of the type having a laser discharge tube containing a mixture of gases including a laser active medium, in which a discharge is supplied in the laser active medium to enable the stimulated emission of coherent radiation, comprising:
- the mixture of gases includes a buffer gas comprising hydrogen or deuterium;
- a dispenser reservoir in communication with the laser discharge tube, and a supply of material including a hydride or deuteride, contained within said dispenser reservoir which is in communication with the laser active medium in the laser discharge tube, for supplying hydrogen or deuterium gas during operation to the laser discharge tube, the gas supplied from said dispenser reservoir being of the same composition as said buffer gas and having substantially free passage between the reservoir material and the laser discharge tube, whereby said buffer gas is replenished from the supply of material in said dispenser reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.