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US 8,525,138 B2Granted
Laser-driven light source
AssigneeEnergetiq Technology, Inc.
InventorsDonald K. Smith, Matthew Besen, Huiling Zhu, Daniil Stolyarov, Hongke Ye, Gordon Hill, Ron Collins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for producing light includes a chamber and an ignition source that ionizes a gas within the chamber. The apparatus also includes at least one laser that provides energy to the ionized gas within the chamber to produce a high brightness light. The laser can provide a substantially continuous amount of energy to the ionized gas to generate a substantially continuous high brightness light.
Claims27
A light source comprising:
- a pressurized chamber having a gas disposed therein;
- an ignition source comprising electrodes for exciting the gas, the excited gas having at least one strong absorption line at an infrared wavelength;
- at least one laser configured to provide energy to the excited gas at a wavelength within 10 nm of a strong absorption line of the excited gas within the chamber to sustain a plasma and produce at least substantially continuous, plasma-generated light.
A method for producing light comprising:
- providing a light source comprising a pressurized chamber having a gas disposed therein;
- an ignition source comprising electrodes for exciting the gas, the excited gas having at least one strong absorption line at an infrared wavelength;
- and at least one laser configured to provide energy to the excited gas at a wavelength within 10 nm of a strong absorption line of the excited gas within the chamber to sustain a plasma and produce an at least substantially continuous, plasma-generated light;
- exciting with the ignition source the gas within the chamber;
- tuning the laser to a first wavelength to provide energy to the excited gas in the chamber to produce the light, the excited gas absorbing energy near the first wavelength;
- and tuning the laser to a second wavelength to provide energy to the excited gas in the chamber to maintain the light, the excited gas absorbing energy near the second wavelength.
3 more elements
A light source comprising:
- a pressurized chamber having a gas disposed therein;
- an ignition source comprising electrodes for exciting the gas, the excited gas having at least one strong absorption line at an infrared wavelength;
- and at least one laser configured to provide energy to the excited gas at a wavelength within 10 nm of a strong absorption line of the excited gas within the chamber to sustain a plasma and produce an at least substantially continuous, plasma-generated light, wherein the chamber has one or more walls and the at least one laser provides energy to the gas within the chamber to produce a plasma that generates a light emitted through the walls of the chamber, the light source further comprising:
- a dichroic mirror directed toward the plasma, the dichroic mirror selectively reflecting at least one wavelength of light such that the light generated by the plasma is not substantially reflected toward the at least one laser.
1 more element
A light source comprising:
- a pressurized chamber having a gas disposed therein;
- an ignition source comprising electrodes for exciting the gas, the gas having at least one strong absorption line at an infrared wavelength;
- and at least one laser configured to provide energy to the excited gas at a wavelength within 10 nm of a strong absorption line of the excited gas within the chamber to sustain a plasma and produce an at least substantially continuous, plasma-generated light;
- the at least one laser provides energy to the excited gas within the chamber to produce the light having a first spectrum, the light source further comprising;
- an optical element disposed within the path of the light to modify the first spectrum of the light to a second spectrum.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.