Laser oscillator having a curved mirror with a through-hole
AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShuji Ogawa, Shigenori Yagi
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Abstract
A laser oscillator includes a housing which seals a laser medium gas from the atmosphere, concave mirrors (or a set of concave and convex mirrors) positioned in the housing and having the laser medium gas therebetween, an apertured mirror positioned between the concave mirror and the other concave or convex mirror on a line connecting the spherical centers of the mirrors at a predetermined angle relative to the line, and a window through which a laser beam reflected by the apertured mirror is output from the housing. The apertured mirror has a curved reflective surface, thereby simplifying the optical system in the housing and increasing the system's reliability.
Claims20
A laser oscillator, comprising:
- a housing including a laser medium gas therein such that said laser medium gas is isolated from the atmosphere;
- first and second curved mirrors positioned in said housing and having said laser medium gas positioned therebetween;
- an apertured mirror positioned between said first and second mirrors on a line connecting spherical centers of said first and second mirrors at an angle of less than 45.degree. relative to said line, said apertured mirror having a curved reflective surface;
- and
- a window formed in said housing through which a laser beam reflected by said apertured mirror is output from said housing.
A method of generating and directing a laser beam, comprising:
- providing a housing containing a laser medium gas such that said laser medium gas is isolated from the atmosphere;
- positioning a concave mirror and a convex mirror in said housing such that said laser medium gas is positioned therebetween;
- positioning an apertured mirror between said concave mirror and said convex mirror on a line connecting spherical centers of said concave mirror and said convex mirror at an angle of less than 45.degree. relative to said line;
- generating a laser beam within said housing;
- reflecting said laser beam with said apertured mirror;
- and
- providing a window in said housing through which said laser beam reflected by said apertured mirror is output form said housing, the reflective surface of said apertured mirror having a curvature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.