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US 5,475,703 AGranted
Radio frequency-excited gas laser
OwnerStanley J. Scalise, Dennis W. Davisinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radio frequency (RF)-excited waveguide laser of improved efficiency is disclosed. Features which contribute to efficiency include a constriction in the RF cavity cross section which effects an intense, uniform electric field in the gas discharge region, discontinuities in the electrode surfaces bounding the discharge gap region which defeat longitudinal resonances in the RF cavity and thereby provide longitudinal uniformity in the gap region electric field, and dielectric tube(s) for confining gas in the discharge gap region. Additional versions of the invention include open-loop and closed-loop frequency tuning of the laser RF cavity and modular RF cavities which can be connected to achieve higher optical output power.
Claims40
An RF-excited laser system comprising:
- (a) a longitudinal RF cavity having a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said RF cavity which has at least one constricted region which extends along the length of said RF cavity, each said constricted region serving to concentrate transverse electric field lines within each said constricted region for the purpose of supporting a plasma discharge in each said constricted region;
- (b) reflective means for defining an optical cavity, said optical cavity at least partially occupying the interior of said RF cavity;
- (c) a gain medium disposed within said optical cavity;
- and
- (d) an RF pumping means for applying power to said RF cavity, said longitudinal cavity having an associated longitudinal resonance and at least one transverse resonance, each said transverse resonance having an associated transverse resonant frequency, said RF pumping means providing RF power to said RF cavity, said RF power exciting at least one said transverse resonance thereby maximizing the concentration of said transverse electric field lines within each said constricted region, the opposing surfaces bounding each said constricted region further comprising upper and lower opposing surfaces which have discontinuities along the length of each said constricted region so as to suppress said longitudinal resonance of said RF cavity at its drive frequency, thereby providing uniform RF excitation along the entire length of each said constricted or discharge region.
2 more elements
An RF-excited laser system comprising:
- (a) a longitudinal RF cavity having a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said RF cavity which has multiple expanded regions laterally connected via multiple constricted regions, each said constricted region serving to concentrate transverse electric field lines within each said constricted region for the purpose of supporting a plasma discharge in each said constricted region;
- (b) reflective means for defining an optical cavity, said optical cavity at least partially occupying the interior of said RF cavity;
- (c) a gain medium disposed within said optical cavity;
- and
- (d) an RF pumping means for applying power to said RF cavity, said longitudinal cavity having an associated longitudinal resonance and at lest one transverse resonance, each said transverse resonance having an associated transverse resonant frequency, said RF pumping means providing RF power to said RF cavity, said RF power exciting at least one said transverse resonance thereby maximizing the concentration of said transverse electric field lines within each said constricted region.
2 more elements
An RF-excited laser system comprising:
- (a) a longitudinal RF cavity having a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said RF cavity which has at least one constricted region which extends along the length of said RF cavity, each said constricted region serving to concentrate transverse electric field lines within each said constricted region for the purpose of supporting a plasma discharge in each said constricted region;
- (b) reflective means for defining an optical cavity, said optical cavity at least partially occupying the interior of said RF cavity;
- (c) a gain medium disposed within said optical cavity;
- and
- (d) an RF pumping means for applying power to said RF cavity, said longitudinal cavity having an associated longitudinal resonance and at least one transverse resonance, each said transverse resonance having an associated transverse resonant frequency, said RF pumping means providing RF power to said RF cavity, said RF power exciting at least one said transverse resonance thereby maximizing the concentration of said transverse electric field lines within each said constricted region, said RF cavity having defined walls and the shape of said RF cavity capable of perturbation so as to shift said transverse resonant frequencies of said RF cavity.
2 more elements
An RF-excited laser system comprising:
- (a) a longitudinal RF cavity having an associated longitudinal resonance supporting a discharge region between opposing surfaces of electrodes contained within said RF cavity, said electrode surfaces having discontinuities along the length of said discharge region so as to suppress said longitudinal resonance of said RF cavity at its drive frequency, thereby providing uniform RF excitation along the entire length of said discharge region;
- (b) reflective means for defining an optical cavity, said optical cavity at least partially occupying the interior of said RF cavity;
- (c) a gain medium disposed within said optical cavity;
- and
- (d) an RF pumping means for applying power to said RF cavity.
2 more elements
An RF-excited laser system comprising:
- (a) RF modules, each comprising a longitudinal RF cavity, said longitudinal RF cavity having a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said RF cavity which has at least one constricted region which extends along the length of said RF cavity, said longitudinal cavity having an associated longitudinal resonance and at least one transverse resonance, each said constricted region serving to concentrate transverse electric field lines within each said constricted region for the purpose of supporting a plasma discharge in each said constricted region, a gain medium disposed within at least a portion of said RF cavity, and RF pumping means for applying power to said RF cavity;
- (b) a modular assembly comprising a longitudinal mounting platform for support of said RF modules, said modular assembly accommodating a multiplicity of said RF modules interconnected end-to-end in serial fashion;
- (c) reflective means for defining a composite optical cavity for said RF-excited laser system, said optical cavity largely encompassing the optical gain volumes of each said RF module when placed end-to-end;
- and
- (d) optical coupling means allowing the propagation of light from one said RF module to another such said RF module, and to said reflective means, said optical coupling means prohibiting the transfer of RF energy among said RF modules.
2 more elements
An RF-excited laser system comprising:
- (a) RF modules, each comprising a longitudinal RF cavity having an associated longitudinal resonance, a gain medium disposed within at least a portion of said RF cavity, and RF pumping means for applying power to said RF cavity, said RF cavity supporting a discharge region between opposing surfaces of electrodes contained within said RF cavity, said electrode surfaces having discontinuities along the length of said discharge region so as to suppress said longitudinal resonance of said RF cavity at its drive frequency, thereby providing uniform RF excitation along the entire length of said discharge region;
- (b) a modular assembly comprising a longitudinal mounting platform for support of said RF modules, said modular assembly accommodating a multiplicity of said RF modules interconnected end-to-end in serial fashion;
- (c) reflective means for defining a composite optical cavity for said RF-excited laser system, said optical cavity largely encompassing the optical gain volumes of each said RF module when placed end-to-end;
- and
- (d) optical coupling means allowing the propagation of light from one said RF module to another such said RF module, and to said reflective means, said optical coupling means prohibiting the transfer of RF energy among said RF modules.
2 more elements
An RF-excited laser system comprising:
- (a) RF modules, each comprising a longitudinal RF cavity, a gain medium disposed within at least a portion of said RF cavity, said gain medium contained within at least one gas enclosure positioned between opposing electrode surfaces within said RF cavity, said gas enclosure made of a low loss, dielectric material and having integral laser windows attached thereto and RF pumping means for applying power to said RF cavity, said RF cavity supporting a discharge region between opposing surfaces of electrodes contained within said RF cavity;
- (b) a modular assembly comprising a longitudinal mounting platform for support of said RF modules, said modular assembly accommodating a multiplicity of said RF modules interconnected end-to-end in serial fashion;
- (c) reflective means for defining a composite optical cavity for said RF-excited laser system, said optical cavity largely encompassing the optical gain volumes of each said RF module when placed end-to-end;
- and
- (d) optical coupling means allowing the propagation of light from one said RF module to another such said RF module, and to said reflective means, said optical coupling means prohibiting the transfer of RF energy among said RF modules.
2 more elements
An RF-excited laser system comprising:
- (a) a modular assembly comprising a multiplicity of RF modules interconnected end-to-end in serial fashion, each said RF module further comprising a longitudinal RF cavity, a gain medium disposed within at least a portion of said RF cavity, and RF pumping means for applying power to said RF cavity, said longitudinal RF cavity having a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said RF cavity which has at least one constricted region which extends along the length of said RF cavity, each said constricted region serving to concentrate transverse electric field lines within each said constricted region from the purpose of supporting a plasma discharge in each said constricted region, said longitudinal cavity having an associated longitudinal resonance and at least one transverse resonance, each said constricted region bounded by opposing surfaces of electrodes contained with said RF cavity, said opposing surfaces of each said constricted region having discontinuities spaced periodically along the length of said each said constricted region so as to suppress said longitudinal resonance of said RF cavity at its lowest order transverse drive frequency, thereby providing uniform RF excitation along the entire length of each said constricted region, said RF modules interconnected so as to exchange optical energy among said RF modules and prohibit the exchange of RF energy among said RF modules;
- (b) reflective means for defining a composite optical cavity for said RF-excited laser system, said optical cavity largely encompassing the optical gain volumes of each said RF module when placed end-to-end, said reflective means attached to the ends of said RF modules;
- and
- (c) optical coupling means allowing the propagation of light from one said RF module to another such said RF module, and to said reflective means, said optical coupling means prohibiting the transfer of RF energy among said RF modules.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.