Light source device
AssigneeHamamatsu Photonics K.K.
InventorsAkinori Asai, Kenshi Fukumitsu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a light source device, a control unit causes an energy density of a laser light in a lighting start region RS when a laser support light is maintained to be lower than an energy density of the laser light in the lighting start region RS when the laser support light is put on. For this reason, when the laser support light is maintained, a laser light L is radiated to the lighting start region RS at an energy density of a degree where sputtering does not occur. Therefore, in the light source device, because sputtering in a light emission sealing body can be suppressed, a sufficiently long life can be realized.
Claims20
A light source device comprising:
- a laser unit that emits a laser light;
- a light source that has a light emission sealing body of which an internal space is filled with light emission gas and a metal structure provided in the internal space;
- and
- an optical system that guides the laser light to the internal space,
- wherein the light source puts on a laser support light being a plasma emission of the light emission gas by applying energy of the laser light to the metal structure in the internal space, and maintains the laser support light by continuous radiation of the laser light, and
- the optical system condenses the laser light at a position separated from the metal structure either when putting on or maintaining the laser support light.
A light source device comprising:
- a laser unit that emits a continuous laser light;
- a light source that has a light emission sealing body of which an internal space is filled with light emission gas and a metal structure provided in the internal space;
- and
- an optical system that guides the continuous laser light to the internal space,
- wherein the light source puts on a laser support light being a plasma emission of the light emission gas by applying energy of the continuous laser light to the metal structure in the internal space, and maintains the laser support light by continuous radiation of the continuous laser light, and
- the optical system positions a condensing position of the continuous laser light substantially on a surface of the metal structure in contact with the light emission gas and irradiates the metal structure with the continuous laser light passing through the condensing position when putting on the laser support light, and positions the condensing position of the continuous laser light in a maintaining region of the laser support light in the light emission gas when maintaining the laser support light.
A light emission method using a light source device provided with a laser unit that emits a laser light, and a light source that has a light emission sealing body of which an internal space is filled with light emission gas and a metal structure provided in the internal space, the method comprising steps of:
- heating the metal structure by applying energy of the laser light to the metal structure;
- generating a laser support light being a plasma emission of the light emission gas by the heated metal structure and condensing of the laser light, and
- maintaining the laser support light in a region separated from the metal structure by condensing of the laser light in the internal space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.