EP0263118A4 - Entladungsröhre für metalldampflaser mit mehreren metallreservoiren. - Google Patents
Entladungsröhre für metalldampflaser mit mehreren metallreservoiren.Info
- Publication number
- EP0263118A4 EP0263118A4 EP19870901284 EP87901284A EP0263118A4 EP 0263118 A4 EP0263118 A4 EP 0263118A4 EP 19870901284 EP19870901284 EP 19870901284 EP 87901284 A EP87901284 A EP 87901284A EP 0263118 A4 EP0263118 A4 EP 0263118A4
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- metal
- laser
- chamber
- reservoirs
- tube
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
- H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
- H01S3/02—Constructional details
- H01S3/03—Constructional details of gas laser discharge tubes
- H01S3/032—Constructional details of gas laser discharge tubes for confinement of the discharge, e.g. by special features of the discharge constricting tube
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
- H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
- H01S3/02—Constructional details
- H01S3/03—Constructional details of gas laser discharge tubes
- H01S3/031—Metal vapour lasers, e.g. metal vapour generation
Definitions
- This invention relates to lasers and has particular application to lasers of a type wherein a metal vapour is excited by a pulsed electrical discharge.
- Pulsed metal vapour lasers allow the generation of ultra-violet, visible and infrared radiation.
- Many examples of these devices are well-known in the scientific literature and they have applications in areas as diverse as the separation of atomic isotopes, using copper as the lasant, communications, with manganese as the lasant, treatment of cancer, by photochemotherapy, with gold as the lasant, and photochemical research, with strontium as the lasant.
- These applications inter alia, require the greatest possible efficiency for generating the laser radiation and some additionally require laser beams of uniform circular cross-section of small (1-lOmm) diameter, produced from devices having small departures from the strict horizontal plane.
- Metal vapour lasers generally comprise two electrodes between which there is a column of gas known as the discharge volume.
- the discharge volume contains a buffer gas and beads (uniform or otherwise) of a metal placed along the bottom of the innermost surface of the discharge chamber.
- the application of a fast and high voltage pulse to the discharge volume produces a stream of electrons which heat the gas and thereby transfer heat to the inner walls of the chamber which substantially confine the active volume.
- the walls of the chamber and the metal therein are both heated; with repeated discharges and appropriate insulation the temperature may rise sufficiently to melt and vapourise the metal which can then be electrically excited and lasing may ensue.
- This class of laser is well known in the art.
- the technique generally employed for introducing metal to the discharge chamber has been to place small pieces of metal, distributed as uniformly as possible, along the bottom of the innermost surface.
- the non-uniform distribution of metal vapour in the discharge vessel reduces the efficiency of extraction of the laser energy because not all of the vessel is operating at the correct vapour pressure for the optimum generation of laser emission.
- the accumulation produces a beam cross-section that is non-circular and this is deleterious for many applications.
- the discharge vessel must be run in a horizontal plane or the molten metal will roll out of the vessel and not be available for further generation of laser emission.
- the above effects restrict the diameter of a commercially viable metal vapour laser discharge vessel to greater than approximately 20mm and limit the efficiency of operation of the laser. These restrictions are undesirable as there is significant demand for a metal vapour laser with a beam diameter in the range of 1 to 10mm, such beams being generated by discharge vessels of approximately the same diameter.
- the present invention consists in a metal vapour laser having a tubular chamber defining a gas discharge volume characterized in that along the chamber are provided means defining a plurality of metal reservoirs located uniformly along the length of the chamber.
- the structural member and the segments comprising the inner wall are made of a refractory ceramic, such as alumina or beryllia. However, other suitable materials can also be used.
- Another advantage is the far greater homogenity of metal vapour that results from the multiplicity of metal reservoirs located uniformly along the length of the vessel. This enables more uniform seeding of the discharge volume with metal vapour and results in an enhanced energy extraction efficiency. Experiments have achieved an extraction efficiency of 318mW per cubic centimetre from a 4mm diameter vessel of volume 3.45 cubic centimetres. This compares very favourably with the 30.5mW per cubic centimetre extracted from conventional 25mm diameter vessels.
- Another advantage is the relaxation of the requirement that the vessel be operated in a horizontal or near horizontal manner so as to prevent the molten metal from rolling out of the end of the vessel. The segmented sections act as effective barriers to the rolling of the molten metal and provide individual wells that further contain the metal.
- Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show cross-sectional views of three different laser assemblies according to the invention.
- Terminating flanges 1 and tube 3 in Figure 1 define the gas chamber 11.
- the terminating flanges 1 are in electrical contact with electrodes 2 between which the discharge is propagated in the discharge chamber 12.
- Thermal insulation 4 is provided in order to raise the temperature of the metal segments 7 to the optimum value for lasing action.
- the tube 5 is supported co-axially with the thermal insulation 4 and individual rings 6 are disposed so as to form the appropriate structure with wells 13 in which to locate the metal. This creates the multiplicity of metal reservoirs disclosed in this invention.
- Such an insulating assembly is appropriate to a copper laser.
- the tube 3 defining the gas chamber is sealed against the terminating flanges 1 and 2 via O-rings (not shown) or some other suitable sealing technique.
- the whole assembly is connected to suitable power supplies, vacuum systems and cooling systems. These are all common in the art and do not form part of the invention.
- Fig. 2 shows a variation of the assembly wherein tube 8 supports the segmented sections 6 directly and no thermal insulation is provided. Such an assembly would be appropriate to a strontium or lead laser, or a copper laser whose insulation was derived externally to tube 8.
- Fig. 3 shows a further variation wherein tube 9 is composed of an electrically conductive metallic material that is electrically isolated from the terminating flanges 1 by electrically insulating tubes 10. Tubes 9 and 10 are jointed together by a suitable, vacuum compatible technique and tube 10 is then sealed against the terminating flanges 1.
- the annular sections 6 can be composed of any suitable material that may or may not be of the same composition as the supporting tube. It will be appreciated that a number of alterations can be made with respect to the preferred embodiment within the scope of the succeeding claims.
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
- Optics & Photonics (AREA)
- Lasers (AREA)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU4675/86 | 1986-02-18 | ||
AUPH467586 | 1986-02-18 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0263118A1 EP0263118A1 (de) | 1988-04-13 |
EP0263118A4 true EP0263118A4 (de) | 1989-03-29 |
Family
ID=3771475
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19870901284 Withdrawn EP0263118A4 (de) | 1986-02-18 | 1987-02-18 | Entladungsröhre für metalldampflaser mit mehreren metallreservoiren. |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0263118A4 (de) |
JP (1) | JPS63502632A (de) |
WO (1) | WO1987005158A1 (de) |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB9018421D0 (en) * | 1990-08-22 | 1990-10-03 | British Nuclear Fuels Plc | Improvements in lasers |
GB2274541B (en) * | 1993-01-20 | 1996-03-27 | Eev Ltd | Laser arrangements |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4052680A (en) * | 1976-07-01 | 1977-10-04 | Xerox Corporation | Metal vapor laser having cataphoresis means |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3585524A (en) * | 1968-09-16 | 1971-06-15 | Bell Telephone Labor Inc | Ion lasers employing gas mixtures |
US4266200A (en) * | 1977-01-13 | 1981-05-05 | Liu Chi Sheng | Metal halide laser tube structure |
BG39780A1 (en) * | 1984-04-18 | 1986-08-15 | Sbotinov | Gas- discharge tube for laser with copper halogenide vapours |
GB2176335B (en) * | 1985-06-04 | 1989-12-06 | English Electric Valve Co Ltd | Discharge tubes |
-
1987
- 1987-02-18 JP JP50150087A patent/JPS63502632A/ja active Pending
- 1987-02-18 EP EP19870901284 patent/EP0263118A4/de not_active Withdrawn
- 1987-02-18 WO PCT/AU1987/000044 patent/WO1987005158A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4052680A (en) * | 1976-07-01 | 1977-10-04 | Xerox Corporation | Metal vapor laser having cataphoresis means |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See also references of WO8705158A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JPS63502632A (ja) | 1988-09-29 |
WO1987005158A1 (en) | 1987-08-27 |
EP0263118A1 (de) | 1988-04-13 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 19880209 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): DE FR GB |
|
A4 | Supplementary search report drawn up and despatched |
Effective date: 19890329 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN |
|
18W | Application withdrawn |
Withdrawal date: 19890518 |
|
RIN1 | Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected) |
Inventor name: PIPER, JAMES, AUSTIN |