Compact, high energy gas laser

US3973213A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration · US

Inventors

• Stephen D. Rockwood · Los Alamos, US
• Robert E. Stapleton · Monroeville, US
• Thomas F. Stratton · Los Alamos, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 28, 1974
• Grant date: Aug 3, 1976
• Expiry date: May 28, 1994

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/2366
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An electrically pumped gas laser amplifier unit having a disc-like configuration in which light propagation is radially outward from the axis rather than along the axis. The input optical energy is distributed over a much smaller area than the output optical energy, i.e., the amplified beam, while still preserving the simplicity of parallel electrodes for pumping the laser medium. The system may thus be driven by a comparatively low optical energy input, while at the same time, owing to the large output area, large energies may be extracted while maintaining the energy per unit area below the threshold of gas breakdown.