Air cooled RF induction excited ion laser

An air cooled, RF excited, ion laser comprising:

• a resonant cavity including an output coupler and a laser bore, said resonant cavity containing an active medium;
• and
• means for exciting said active medium, said means for exciting comprising
• power supply means for generating a radio frequency (RF) output, and
• a plurality of coupling means for transmitting said RF output to said active medium, each said coupling means transmitting said RF output in a different phase relationship with respect to at least one other of said coupling means, said plurality of coupling means further for dissipating heat associated with said laser bore during the excitation of said active medium.

A laser comprising:

• a resonant cavity including an output coupler and a laser bore, said resonant cavity containing an active medium;
• a power supply means comprising a pulse width modulated switching power supply for providing a voltage in the RF frequency range to an output;
• first inductor means coupled to the output of said power supply means;
• a plurality of helical structures, eaoh of said plurality of helical structures having associated therewith a tank circuit means including a second inductor, inductively coupled to said first inductor, and a capacitor;
• means for generating a magnetic field along the axial length of said laser bore;
• and
• means for dissipating heat from said laser bore upon excitation of said active medium.

A noble gas, ion laser, comprising:

• a resonant cavity having an output coupler, an active laser medium and a laser bore, said active medium being a rare gas;
• excitation means, including a pulse width modulated switching power supply capable of generating an RF output wherein said output is inductively coupled to a tank circuit, said tank circuit including an inductor, capacitor, and a helical structure coupled to and surrounding said laser bore in a collinear serial relationship thereto, for coupling said RF energy to said laser bore to excite said active medium;
• cooling means comprising means for generating an air flow about said helical structure;
• and
• means for generating a magnetic field along the axial length of said bore for positioning said excited active medium within said laser bore.

An ion laser comprising:

• a resonant cavity including an output coupler and a laser bore, said resonant cavity containing an active medium;
• and
• means for exciting said active medium to induce laser gain in said resonant cavity, said means for exciting including
• power supply means for generating a radio frequency (RF) output and for generating a DC output,
• means for coupling said RF output to said active medium and for dissipating heat associated with said laser bore during the excitation of said active medium, and
• means for providing said DC output to said means for coupling to generate a magnetic field in said laser bore.