Liquid stabilized internal mirror lasers

A liquid-filled resonator stabilizing system for use with an internal mirror/internal resonator helium-cadmium discharge laser tube having a hermetically sealed gas laser tube including a mixture of helium and cadmium, a capillary tube, an anode, an anode end assembly, a cathode and a cathode end assembly with electrical feed-throughs for the cathode, and having laser mirrors which are sealably mounted to each end of said hermetically sealed gas laser tube, said laser mirrors being maintained in alignment about the central axis by a resonator, said liquid-filled resonator stabilizing system comprising:

• a. a cylindrical plastic jacket which has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet and which surrounds said hermetically sealed gas laser tube, said plastic jacket being sealed to said hermetically sealed laser tube by O-rings which are held in place by plastic retainers whereby an annulus is formed between said hermetically sealed laser tube and said plastic jacket;
• and
• b. a liquid which has a thermal conductivity greater than 1.0.times.10.sup.-3 watts/centimeter/.degree. C. and/or a specific heat capacity greater than 0.50 joule/gram/.degree. C. and which fills said annulus so that said liquid is in intimate contact with all or a large portion of the surface of said hermetically sealed gas laser tube, the thermal conductivity and the specific heat capacity of said liquid being sufficient to prevent misalignment of said laser mirrors;
• wherein said hermetically sealed gas laser tube comprises a portion of said resonator structure and said liquid cools said hermetically sealed laser tube.

A liquid-filled resonator stabilizing system for use with an internal mirror/internal resonator helium-neon discharge laser tube having a hermetically sealed gas laser tube 2 including a mixture of helium with neon, a capillary tube, an anode, an anode end assembly, a cathode and a cathode end assembly with electrical feed-throughs for the cathode, and having laser mirrors which are sealably mounted to each end of said hermetically sealed gas laser tube, said laser mirrors being maintained in alignment about the central axis by a resonator, said liquid-filled resonator stabilizing system comprising:

• a. a cylindrical plastic jacket which has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet and which surrounds said hermetically sealed gas laser tube, said plastic jacket being sealed to said hermetically sealed laser tube by O-rings which are held in place by plastic retainers whereby an annulus is formed between said hermetically sealed laser tube and said plastic jacket;
• and
• b. a liquid which has a thermal conductivity greater than 1.0.times.10.sup.-3 watts/centimeter/.degree. C. and/or a specific heat capacity greater than 0.50 joule/gram/.degree. C. and which fills said annulus so that said liquid is in intimate contact with all or a large portion of the surface of said hermetically sealed gas laser tube, the thermal conductivity and the specific heat capacity of said liquid being sufficient to prevent misalignment of said laser mirrors;
• wherein said hermetically sealed gas laser tube comprises a portion of said resonator structure and said liquid cools said hermetically sealed laser tube.

A gas laser system comprising:

• a laser tube wall surrounding a cavity, wherein said cavity contains a gaseous laser medium;
• a first laser mirror sealably mounted to said laser tube wall, said first laser mirror aligned with respect to said laser tube wall;
• a second laser mirror sealably mounted to said laser tube wall, said second laser mirror aligned with respect to said laser tube wall;
• wherein said laser tube wall maintains the optical alignment between said first laser mirror and said second laser mirror;
• and
• a jacket for holding liquid in thermal contact with said laser tube wall, said liquid producing a substantially axially symmetric temperature distribution around said laser tube wall during operation of said gas laser system.

A hermetically sealed laser tube assembly for use in a gas laser system, said laser tube assembly comprising:

• a laser tube, said laser tube defining a laser gain region, said laser gain region amplifying light passed through said laser gain region;
• a first laser mirror sealably mounted to an end of said laser tube, said first laser mirror being rigidly mounted in relation to said laser tube, and said laser mirror having a reflective surface facing on said laser gain region;
• a second laser mirror, said first laser mirror and said second laser mirror together acting as a resonator in said gas laser system;
• a liquid in contact with said laser tube, said liquid regulating the operating temperature of said laser tube sufficiently to maintain the optical stability of said resonator.