Supersonic all gas-phase iodine laser
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsChristopher B. Cooper, Gerald C. Manke, Gordon D. Hager, Timothy J. Madden
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Abstract
A continuous wave laser based on the electronic I*(2P½)−I(2P 3/2) transition of atomic iodine at 1.315 microns from the NCl(a1Δ)+I(2P 3/2) energy transfer reaction using a transverse flow device having gas flow from an upstream subsonic combustor section through a converging-diverging supersonic slit nozzle to a downstream supersonic section and an intersecting optical resonator. Laser operation is achieved through the transformation of the gas phase chemical reagents, D2 (deuterium), F2 (fluorine), NF3 (nitrogen trifluoride), DCl (deuterium chloride) HI (hydrogen iodide) in the subsonic section and HN3 (hydrogen azide) in the supersonic section.
Claims9
A supersonic, combustion driven, continuous wave all gas phase iodine laser comprised of
- a. a flow device having gas flow from an upstream subsonic combustor section through a converging-diverging supersonic slit nozzle to a downstream supersonic section;
- b. a source of fluorine gas (F2) injected into the upstream section of said flow device;
- c. a source of deuterium (D2) gas injected into the upstream section of said flow device;
- d. a source of nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) gas injected into the upstream section of said flow device;
- e. a source of deuterium chloride (DCl) gas injected into the upstream section of said flow device;
- f. a source of hydrogen iodide (HI) gas injected into the upstream section of said flow device;
- g. a source of hydrogen azide (HN3) gas injected into the downstream section of said flow device;
- h. an optical resonator intersecting said flow device downstream of said supersonic flow section, whereby the transformation of the fluorine, NF3, DCl, HI, and HN3 gas phase chemical reagents generates a 1.315 micron laser radiation within said optical resonator.
A method for generating a continuous wave laser on the electronic I*(2P½)−I(2P 3/2) transition of atomic iodine at 1.315 microns from the NCl(a1Δ)+I(2P 3/2) energy transfer reaction using a transverse flow device having gas flow from an upstream subsonic combustor section through a converging-diverging supersonic slit nozzle to a downstream supersonic section and an intersecting optical resonator, the method comprising:
- (a) injecting D2, F2, and NF3 at a starting point into said upstream subsonic combustor section, whereby fluorine atoms are generated;
- (b) injecting DCl gas into said subsonic combustor section downstream of the injection points of said D2, F2, and NF3 gases;
- (c) injecting HI gas into said subsonic combustor section downstream of the injection point of said DCl gas;
- (d) constricting the flow of gases from said upstream subsonic combustor section through a converging-diverging supersonic slit nozzle to a downstream supersonic section;
- (e) injecting HN3 gas into said downstream supersonic section, whereby NCl(a1Δ) gas is produced and combines with I(2P 3/2) from said upstream subsonic combustor section to produce I*(2P½);
- and
- (f) providing an intersecting optical resonator downstream of the HN3 gas injection point, to thereby extract the laser light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.