Dual use power supply configuration for the double pulsed flashlamp pumped dye laser
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorKeith E. Nielsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dual pulse flashlamp-pumped laser system (50) having a power supply circuit (62) which not only charges two capacitors (C1, C2) which are successively discharged to produce two laser pulses, but also supplies a simmer current through the flashlamp (58) between the pulses. The first laser pulse follows a trigger pulse on a flashlamp trigger wire (60) which ionizes the flashlamp gas, permitting a first capacitor (C1) to discharge through the flashlamp (58). The simmer current maintains the flashlamp gas in an ionized state, so that a second trigger pulse is not needed. The second laser pulse follows an SCR-controlled discharge of the second capacitor (C2) through the flashlamp (58).
Claims12
A dual pulse flashlamp-pumped laser system, comprising:
- laser cavity-defining means with laser material disposed therein;
- a flashlamp means for providing pump light to excite said laser material, said flashlamp means comprising a gas-filled lamp chamber;
- means for ionizing said gas in said flashlamp;
- means for discharging a first current pulse through said flashlamp to cause a first high intensity light flash and thereby pumping said laser material to emit a first laser pulse;
- means for maintaining said gas in said ionized state for a predetermined time interval after said first current pulse until a second current pulse is discharged through said flashlamp;
- and
- means for discharging a second current pulse through said flashlamp a delay time interval after said first current pulse, thereby pumping said laser material to emit a second laser pulse.
A dual pulse flashlamp-pumped dye laser system comprising:
- laser-cavity defining means having a laser rod disposed therein between a reflector and an output coupler;
- a flashlamp arranged to excite said rod by intense light flashes, said flashlamp comprising a gas-filled lamp chamber;
- a flashlamp trigger wire and means for applying a high voltage trigger pulse to said wire to ionize said gas within said chamber;
- and
- a power supply circuit connected to said flashlamp, said circuit comprising:
- first and second capacitor circuits disposed in a parallel relationship with said flashlamp, said first circuit comprising a first capacitor, said second circuit comprising a second capacitor and means for selectively connecting and disconnecting said second capacitor across said flashlamp in response to a control signal a delay time interval after said trigger pulse;
- a power supply for providing a high supply voltage output between first and second output nodes, said first and second capacitor circuits disposed in a parallel arrangement across said output nodes so as to charge said first and second capacitors and to provide a simmer current through said flashlamp when said gas is ionized;
- wherein said first capacitor discharges when said trigger pulse is applied to ionize said gas, thereby providing a first current pulse through said flashlamp to pump said laser rod and produce a first laser pulse, and said second capacitor discharges in response to said control signal a delay time interval after said trigger pulse, thereby providing a second current pulse through said flashlamp to said laser rod and produce a second laser pulse.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.