Four KHz gas discharge laser

An extreme repetition rate gas discharge laser capable of producing laser light pulses operating at pulse repetition rates in the range of 4,000 pulses per second, said laser comprising:

• A) a laser chamber containing a laser gas and having a first and a second elongated electrode, including a first electrode support defining a discharge region having a gas flow path with a gradually increasing cross section downstream of said first and second electrodes to permit recovery of a large percentage of static pressure drop occurring in the discharge region,
• B) a tangential type fan for producing sufficient gas velocities of said laser gas in said discharge region to clear from said discharge region, following each laser light pulse, substantially all discharge produced ions prior to a next laser light pulse when operating at a repetition rate in the range of 4,000 laser light pulses per second or greater,
• C) a heat exchanger system removing at least 16 kw of heat energy from said laser gas,
• D) a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to said electrodes sufficient to produce laser light pulses at rates of about 4,000 pulses per second with precisely controlled laser light pulse energies in the range of about 5 mJ, and
• E) a laser beam measurement and control system capable of measuring laser light pulse energy wavelength and bandwidth of every laser light pulse or substantially every pulse, with feedback control of laser light pulse energy and wavelength.