Laser of the TE type, especially a high-energy laser

US4556981A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Hans-Jurgen Cirkel · Erlangen, DE
• Willi Bette · Erlangen, DE
• Reinhard Muller · Baden, CH

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 8, 1982
• Grant date: Dec 3, 1985
• Expiry date: Sep 8, 2002

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/09713
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Laser of the TE type, including a gas-tight housing defining a laser chamber having a gas space, at least two laser electrodes disposed parallel to the optical axis of the laser within the housing, the electrodes being disposed mutually opposite and at a given distance from each other, excitation of the laser being provided by an arc-free capacitor discharge being as homogeneous as possible in the gas space between the electrodes, a pre-ionization device disposed within the housing, current leads and a current return disposed in the housing, each of the electrodes being connected to one of the current leads and current return, a device disposed in the laser chamber for conducting laser gas therethrough, a pulse-forming network having a capacitor contact surface and being connected to the current leads and current returns, the laser electrodes being in the form of at least two subelectrodes facing toward the pulse-forming network and subelectrodes facing away from the pulse-forming network, an electrode bridge connected to the subelectrodes facing away from the pulse-forming network, the subelectrodes of opposite electrodes defining subdischarge spaces therebetween and a subelectrod…