Patent · US Expired

CO.sub.2 tea laser having isolated preionization compartments

US4847853A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
12References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 17, 1988
Grant dateJul 11, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 17, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S3/09716
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

To eliminate a parasitic optical pulse and achieve other advantages a TEA CO.sub.2 gas laser (10) has a main discharge compartment (14) which includes a pair of oppositely disposed electrodes (16,18) which define an electrical discharge region therebetween. The main discharge compartment contains a lasant gas mixture comprised of CO.sub.2 /He, the lasant gas mixture being substantially devoid of N.sub.2. Disposed on opposite sides of the main discharge compartment are preionization compartments (30,32) which contain a N.sub.2 /He gas mixture. Partitions (48,50) separate the preionization compartments from the main discharge compartment, the partitions being transparent to electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths of approximately 0.1 to 0.2 micrometers. The preionization compartments further include preionizer devices (34,36) which are electrically coupled to the electrodes and to a pulsed high voltage power supply. The preionizers ionize the N.sub.2 gas which emits radiation which is coupled through the partitions and which is absorbed by the CO.sub.2 gas, thereby photoionizing the CO.sub.2. The partitions physically isolate the N.sub.2 gas from the CO.sub.2 gas.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.