JPH03237771A - Metal vapor laser equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the heat loss caused by radiation from an inner discharge tube to the radial direction, and improve laser efficiency, by installing heat reflecting cylinders surrounding the outer periphery of the inner discharge tube, in an atmosphere heat insulating layer surrounding the inner discharge tube of a metal vapor laser equipment. CONSTITUTION:Heat reflecting cylinders 15, 16 doubly surrounding the outer periphery of an inner discharging tube 2 are buried in an atmosphere heat insulating layer 3 surrounding the outer periphery of the inner discharge tube 2. Each of the inner peripheral surfaces of the heat reflecting cylinders 15, 16 is constituted as heat reflecting mirror 15a or 16a on which high reflection coefficient material, e.g. gold, is vapor-deposited. By this constitution, the heat radiated from the inner discharge tube 2 in the radial direction is reflected in succession by the above heat reflecting cylinders 15, 16. Hence the heat loss from the inner discharge tube 2 can be prevented.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a metal vapor laser device for obtaining laser light by exciting metal vapor by melting metal grains such as copper grains with discharge heat, and in particular, a metal vapor laser device that is designed to reduce heat loss due to radiation in the radial direction. This invention relates to a vapor laser device.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional metal vapor laser device. In the figure, l is a vacuum vessel made of a metal outer tube, and 1a is formed on the peripheral wall of the vacuum vessel l, and is connected to a discharge inner tube 2, which will be described later. A vacuum layer for controlling heat transfer in the radial direction and heat loss due to convection; 2 is an inner discharge tube inserted into the axial center of the vacuum vessel l; 3 is the vacuum vessel l and the discharge inner tube 2, an atmospheric insulation layer such as a wool layer to prevent heat transfer from the discharge inner tube 2 in the radial direction and heat loss due to convection; 4 is installed within the discharge inner tube 2; Metal grains such as copper grains that generate metal vapor; 5 is a cylindrical cathode connected to one end (left end in FIG. 3) of the discharge inner tube 2; 6 is a cylindrical cathode provided at the outer end of this cathode 5; 7 is a cathode terminal connected to the cathode 5 via an electrode flange 8; 9 is the other end of the discharge inner tube 2 (the third
10 is a window for extracting laser light on the anode side provided at the outer end of this anode 9;
is an anode terminal, and this anode terminal 11 is connected to the vacuum vessel 1.
and a connecting plate 12 that closes the anode side end of the vacuum container 1.
and the anode 9 via the electrode flange 13 on the anode 9 side.
It is connected to the. 14 is a discharge gas sealed in the discharge inner tube 2. Next, the operation will be explained. When a pulse voltage is applied between the cathode terminal 7 and the anode terminal 11, a pulse discharge is generated between the cathode 5 and the anode 9 in the discharge gas I4 atmosphere in the discharge inner tube 2, thereby causing the above-mentioned discharge. The inside of the inner tube 2 is in a discharge state. The heat generated by the discharge is conducted to the discharge inner tube 2 and radiated outward in the radial direction from the discharge inner tube 2, but the heat loss due to this, that is, the diameter of the discharge inner tube 2 Heat loss due to outward radiation is suppressed as much as possible by the atmospheric heat insulating layer 3 and the vacuum layer 1a surrounding the discharge inner tube 2, thereby increasing the temperature of the discharge inner tube 2. Due to this temperature rise, the metal grains 4' in the discharge inner tube 2 are melted, and a metal atmosphere necessary for obtaining laser oscillation is generated. Then, this metal vapor is excited by the pulse voltage, causing population inversion. For this reason, if optical resonators (not shown) are placed outside the windows 6.10 at both ends of the inner discharge tube 2, laser light can be obtained through these windows 6.10.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Since the conventional metal vapor laser device is configured as described above, the loss of heat radiated outward in the radial direction from the discharge inner tube 2 can be substantially suppressed only by the atmospheric insulation layer 3. It is difficult to efficiently prevent the heat loss due to radiation to the outside in the radial direction with just the atmospheric heat insulating layer 3, and therefore there is a problem in that the laser efficiency decreases. This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to efficiently reduce heat loss due to radiation from the discharge inner tube in the radial direction in the atmospheric insulation layer, thereby improving laser efficiency. The purpose is to obtain a metal vapor laser device that can perform the following steps.

[Means to solve the problem]

The metal vapor laser device according to the present invention has metal grains for generating metal vapor contained in an atmospheric heat insulating layer surrounding an inner discharge tube disposed between electrodes. It is equipped with a reflector tube.

[For use]

In the metal vapor laser device of the present invention, heat radiated from the inner discharge tube toward the atmospheric heat insulation layer in the radial direction is reflected toward the discharge inner tube by the heat reflecting cylinder in the atmospheric heat insulation layer. Therefore, heat loss due to radiation from the inner discharge tube in the radial direction is reduced, and laser efficiency is improved.

【Example】

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1st
The figure is a sectional view of a metal vapor laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1. The same parts as in FIG. omitted. In the figure, reference numerals 15 and 16 are heat reflecting cylinders that are embedded in the atmospheric heat insulating layer 3 that surrounds the outer circumference of the inner discharge tube 2, and that double surround the outer circumference of the inner discharge tube 2 on the same axis. . The inner peripheral surfaces of these heat reflecting tubes 15 and 16 are made of heat reflecting mirror surfaces 15a and 16a coated with a high reflectance material such as gold.
(See Figure 2). Next, the operation will be explained. The heat generated by the pulse discharge between the cathode 5 and the anode 9 in the atmosphere of the discharge gas 14 in the discharge inner tube 2 is transferred to the discharge inner tube 2, and is transferred from the discharge inner tube 2 into the atmospheric insulation layer 3. However, this radiated heat sequentially hits the heat reflecting mirror surfaces 15a and 16a of the heat reflecting tube 15, 16 and is reflected to the discharge inner tube 2 (radially inside). In this way, the heat radiated from the discharge inner tube 2 in the radial direction is sequentially reflected by the heat reflection tubes 15, 16, thereby efficiently preventing heat loss from the discharge inner tube 2. In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which two heat reflecting tubes 15 and 16 are coaxially embedded in the atmospheric heat insulating layer 3, but the number of heat reflecting tubes may be one or more.

【Effect of the invention】

As described above, according to the present invention, a heat reflection tube surrounding the outer circumference of the discharge inner tube is provided in the atmospheric heat insulation layer surrounding the discharge inner tube of a metal vapor laser device, and the heat reflection tube surrounds the discharge inner tube. Since the structure is such that the heat radiated from the discharge inner tube in the radial direction is reflected back to the discharge inner tube side, the heat loss due to radiation from the discharge inner tube in the radial direction is efficiently reduced by the heat reflecting tube. This has the effect of improving laser efficiency.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a metal vapor laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a conventional metal vapor laser device. . 2... Discharge inner tube, 3... Atmospheric insulation layer, 4... Metal particles, 5... Cathode (electrode), 9... Anode (electrode), 1
5.16... Heat reflector tube. In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a metal vapor laser device comprising an inner discharge tube containing metal grains for generating metal vapor and disposed between electrodes, and an atmospheric insulation layer surrounding the outer periphery of the inner discharge tube, the atmospheric insulation layer includes: A metal vapor laser device characterized in that a heat reflecting tube for preventing heat loss is provided surrounding the outer periphery of the inner discharge tube.