High power photolytic iodine laser
US6049557A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 5, 1998 |
| Grant date | Apr 11, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 5, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/223
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A continuous wave photolytic iodine laser has a gain cell for receiving a continuous supply of gaseous fuel. The gain cell is connected to laser beam transfer optics, a laser resonator for shaping a laser beam, and a lamp. The lamp is driven by a microwave subsystem such that a laser gain medium is pumped through the gain cell. The continuous wave photolytic iodine laser of the present invention incorporates a closed loop fuel system for presenting gaseous fuel to the gain cell at a rate sufficient to sweep any lasing by-products out of the gain cell, thereby preventing quenching of the lasing process. The fuel system also includes a condenser for converting the gaseous fuel to a liquid after it has passed through the gain cell, a scrubber for removing the by-products of the lasing process from the fuel, and an evaporator for converting the recycled liquefied fuel back to a gas. The closed loop fuel system also includes a pump for pressurizing and transporting the liquefied fuel. Provision of pulsed, high energy ultra-violet radiation to the interior gain modules provides a pulsed photolytic iodine laser with a plurality of gain modules, generating very high energy/high power laser…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.