Magnetic spiker gas laser excitation circuit

A method of operating a circuit for exciting a laser having electrodes and a gas mixture therebetween, the circuit having a preionization unit including first means for producing ionizing radiation;

• and second means for producing ionizing radiation, wherein the ionizing radiation from the first means is available to the second means for producing electrons within the second means, the method comprising the steps of:
• a) generating a voltage across the electrodes having a magnitude of approximately V.sub.i volts which is less than a breakdown voltage of the gas mixture;
• b) decreasing the voltage to approximately V.sub.i -X volts, where V.sub.i -X is approximately greater or equal to zero volts;
• c) initiating gas breakdown of the gas mixture by generating a voltage of approximately equal to or greater than 2 V.sub.i volts which exceeds the gas breakdown voltage of the gas mixture;
• d) storing sufficient energy in a storage means connected across the electrodes to allow a discharge of current across the electrodes during and after gas breakdown;
• c) decreasing the voltage across the electrodes to a near steady state voltage of approximately 0.5 V.sub.i sufficient to sustain the discharge across the electrodes during which time current stored in the main energy store is added to the discharge for providing and coincident with a lasing action of the laser.

A method of operating a circuit for exciting a laser having electrodes and a gas mixture therebetween, the circuit having a chamber for receiving the gas;

• main energy storage means for storing electrical energy for the operation of the laser, the main energy storage means having a first terminal and a second terminal;
• energy transfer means in the form of saturable inductive elements connected in series coupling the first terminal of the main energy storage means with one of the electrodes, and for transferring the electrical energy thereto in the form of a discharge voltage pulse;
• the method comprising the steps of:
• a) generating a voltage across the electrodes having a magnitude of approximately V.sub.i volts which is less than a breakdown voltage of the gas mixture;
• b) decreasing the voltage to approximately V.sub.i -X volts, where V.sub.i -X is approximately greater or equal to zero volts;
• c) initiating gas breakdown of the gas mixture by generating a voltage of approximately equal to or greater than 2 V.sub.i volts which exceeds the gas breakdown voltage of the gas mixture;
• d) storing sufficient energy in the main energy storage means connected across the electrodes to allow a discharge of current across the electrodes during and after gas breakdown;
• c) decreasing the voltage across the electrodes to a near steady state voltage of approximately 0.5 V.sub.i sufficient to sustain the discharge across the electrodes during which time current stored in the main energy store is added to the discharge for providing and coincident with a lasing action of the laser.