Particle beam device
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorRobert James Howard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser and method of producing laser light. The laser and method involve passing a high energy beam of particles through an evacuated chamber. A static electric or magnetic field is established in the chamber in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the beam, but which is a periodically varying field in the direction of propagation. The velocity of the particles and the variation in the field is sufficient to pump the particles into a higher energy state and produce laser light at the output of the chamber.
Claims20
A laser comprising:
- a source of high energy particles selected from atoms, molecules, and ions, wherein said source imparts a first velocity to said particles;
- and
- an evacuated chamber having an input end and an output end,
- wherein said chamber receives the particles at said input end;
- wherein said chamber comprises a comb structure capable of forming a static field along a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a direction of propagation of the particles in said chamber;
- wherein said static field, in combination with said first velocity, is sufficient to increase an energy of the particles to a higher energy state,
- wherein said higher energy state is a metastable state or decays to a metastable state;
- and further
- wherein said metastable state decays to a lower energy state resulting in the stimulated emission of light.
A method for producing laser light comprising:
- providing a beam of high energy particles selected from atoms, molecules, and ions, the beam having a first velocity;
- and
- forming a field that is static in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to a direction of propagation of said beam and periodically varies in said direction of propagation, wherein said field, in combination with said first velocity, is sufficient to increase an energy of said particles to a higher energy state, wherein said higher energy state is a metastable state or decays to a metastable state;
- and further wherein said metastable state decays to a lower energy state resulting in the stimulated emission of light.
A method for producing laser light comprising:
- providing a beam of high energy particles selected from atoms, molecules, and ions, wherein said beam has a first velocity;
- passing the beam through an input end of an evacuated chamber;
- forming a static field in said chamber in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to a direction of propagation of said beam, wherein said field, in combination with said first velocity, is sufficient to increase an energy of said particles to a meta-stable state;
- and
- extracting laser light from an output end of the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.