All metal electrode sealed gas laser
AssigneeSynrad, Inc.
InventorsPeter Vitruk, Jeffery Alan Broderick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas laser includes a plurality of electrically conductive electrodes contained within a hollow housing that contains a laser gas medium. The electrodes surround and define a laser bore in which a plasma is excited by the electrodes. Each of the electrodes defining the laser bore has an ungrounded electrical potential that provides improved laser gain at a lower gas temperature. Each of the electrodes may be driven with a controlled, varying electrical potential, such as a radio frequency electrical potential.
Claims35
A single bore gas laser, comprising:
- a hollow housing containing a laser gas medium;
- and
- a plurality of electrically-conductive electrodes contained within the housing, the plurality of electrodes including first, second, third, and fourth electrode surfaces surrounding and defining a single laser bore, the laser bore being the only laser bore of the gas laser, the first and third electrode surfaces facing each other and each having an ungrounded electrical potential that excites a plasma within the laser bore, the second and fourth electrode surfaces facing each other and each having an ungrounded electrical potential that excites the plasma within the laser bore.
A single bore gas laser, comprising:
- a hollow housing containing a laser gas medium;
- and
- a plurality of electrically-conductive electrodes contained within the housing, the electrodes surrounding and defining a single laser bore, the laser bore being the only laser bore of the gas laser, each of the electrodes having a controlled, varying electrical potential that excites a plasma within the laser bore.
A single bore gas laser, comprising:
- a hollow housing containing a laser gas medium;
- a plurality of electrically-conductive electrodes contained within the housing, the electrodes having four electrode surfaces surrounding and defining a single laser bore, the laser bore being the only laser bore of the gas laser the four electrode surfaces having electrical potentials that excite a plasma within the laser bore;
- and
- a first ion sheath formed within the laser bore adjacent to each of the four electrode surfaces, the first ion sheath restricting combination of ions from the plasma in the laser bore with electrons from the four electrode surfaces.
A single bore gas laser, comprising:
- an elongated hollow housing containing a laser gas medium;
- an RF power source for producing radio frequency power;
- a first electrode coupled to the RF power source, the first electrode having elongated first and second electrode surfaces defining two sides of an elongated single laser bore within the housing, the laser bore being the only laser bore of the gas laser;
- and
- a second electrode coupled to the RF power source, the second electrode having elongated third and fourth electrode surfaces defining an additional two sides of the laser bore and facing the first and second electrode surfaces, each of the electrode surfaces receiving radio frequency power from the RF power source such that the first and second electrode surfaces are driven by the RF power source with a varying electrical potential that is of opposite polarity to a varying electrical potential of the third and fourth electrode surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.