Gas laser oscillator
AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorHitoshi Hongu
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Abstract
The gas laser oscillator having metal housings disposed near internal mirrors of the resonator for covering, for example, the external of connecting tubes partially or totally, means for detecting the micro discharge current flowing inside of the connecting tubes near the internal mirrors of the resonator, and a control circuit for controlling energy to be supplied into discharge tubes by comparing output signals output from the means for detecting the micro discharge current with reference signals. The gas laser oscillator prevents the micro discharge current from flowing in laser gas inside of the connecting tubes, thereby preventing degradation of a total reflection mirror and a partial reflection mirror defining the internal mirrors of the resonator.
Claims25
A gas laser oscillator comprising:
- discharge tubes;
- a gas disposed within said discharge tubes;
- at least one power supply supplying energy for exciting said gas to said discharge tubes;
- a resonator comprising resonator mirrors and said discharge tubes;
- detecting means for detecting a presence of a micro discharge current flowing near said resonator mirrors, the detecting means for generating output signals responsive to detection of said presence of said current by said detecting means;
- and
- a control circuit controlling energy from said power supplies to said discharge tubes, said circuit being responsive to said output signals from said detecting means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.