Gaseous thin film acoustically tuned laser
US4087764A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 8, 1976 |
| Grant date | May 2, 1978 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 8, 1996 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/102
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A thin film laser typcially operating in the region of 1,000 to 10,000 A. First and second electrodes are mounted in a fluid container in spaced relation with a dielectric block in the gap between the electrodes and fixed to the first electrode. A voltage pulse applied to the electrodes produces an electric field between the electrodes with a discharge occurring in the thin film of fluid between the dielectric and second electrode. The current discharge excites the fluid, forming simple excited molecules which may have a bound upper state and a dissociative lower state connected by an optical transition. The surfaces of the block and second electrode may form an active optical wave guide for the excited molecules, in which lasing occurs. The laser may be tuned by an acoustic wave produced at the surface of the dielectric block which causes distributed feedback in the active region recycling potential laser emission through the active medium and turning the laser to a wavelength that matches the wavelength of the acoustic surface wave.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.