JPH03237777A - Metal vapor laser equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the temperature sufficient for laser oscillation by low electric power input, and reduce the heat loss caused by radiation from an inner discharge tube, by forming a high melting point metal layer on the outer periphery of the inner discharge tube. CONSTITUTION:A high melting point metal layer 15 having high heat reflection factor which is sprayed and formed on the outer periphery of an inner discharge tube 2 is insulated from a cathode 5 or an anode 9. Heat reflecting plates 16 which cover closely both end portions of an atmospheric heat insulating layer 3 are arranged between the tube 2 and a vacuum jacket 1 on both end portions in the axial direction of the tube 2. The heat generated by pulse discharge between electrodes in an atmosphere of discharge gas 14 in the tube 2 is reflected by the high melting point metal layer 15. Hence, even when the pulse voltage applied to electrodes is small, the temperature in the inner discharge tube 2 can be increased up to a sufficient value for laser oscillation.

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 particles such as copper particles with discharge heat, and in particular to a metal vapor laser device designed to reduce heat loss due to radiation. Regarding.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a conventional metal vapor laser device, in which 1 is a vacuum jacket made of a metal outer tube;
la is a vacuum layer formed on the peripheral wall of the vacuum jacket 1 to control heat loss due to radial heat transfer and convection from the discharge inner tube 2, which will be described later;
A discharge inner tube 3 inserted into the axial center of the inner discharge tube 3 is filled between the vacuum jacket 1 and the discharge inner tube 2, and prevents heat loss due to heat transfer and convection in the radial direction from the discharge inner tube 2. 4 is a metal grain such as a copper grain installed in the discharge inner tube 2 to generate metal vapor; 5 is an atmospheric insulation layer such as a wool layer to prevent A cylindrical cathode (6) is a window for extracting laser light on the cathode side provided at the outer end of this cathode 5 (left end in the figure), and 7 is connected to the cathode 5 via an electrode flange 8. A cathode terminal 9 is a cylindrical anode connected to the other end (the right end in FIG. 2) of the inner discharge tube 2, and 10 is a cathode terminal provided at the outer end of the anode 9 for extracting laser light from the anode side. The window 11 is an anode terminal, and the anode terminal 11 is connected to the anode 9 through the vacuum jacket 1, the connection plate 12 that closes the anode side end of the vacuum jacket 1, and the electrode flange 13 of the nine anodes. 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 atmosphere of the discharge gas 14 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 from the discharge inner tube 2 in the radial and axial directions. Heat loss due to radiation from the discharge tube 2 is suppressed as much as possible by the atmospheric heat insulating layer 3 surrounding the discharge inner tube 2 and the vacuum layer 1a.
The temperature of the discharge inner tube 2 rises. Due to this temperature rise, the metal particles 4 within the discharge inner tube 2 are melted, and metal vapor 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 constructed as described above, the simple discharge inner tube 2 requires a considerable amount of electrical input to raise the temperature inside the tube to about 1500°C, which is sufficient for laser oscillation. Therefore, there was a problem that it was not easy to raise the temperature inside the tube to a temperature sufficient for laser oscillation, and furthermore, heat loss due to radiation from the discharge inner tube 2 could not be efficiently prevented. This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to obtain a temperature sufficient for laser oscillation with low electrical input, and moreover, to efficiently reduce heat loss due to radiation from the discharge inner tube. The object of the present invention is to obtain a metal vapor laser device that can improve laser efficiency.

[Means to solve the problem]

The metal vapor laser device according to the present invention has a high melting point metal layer formed on the outer periphery of the inner discharge tube.

[For use]

The metal vapor laser device of the present invention is capable of obtaining sufficient temperature for laser oscillation with low electric power by the high melting point metal layer formed on the outer periphery of the discharge inner tube, and also by the axial radiation from the discharge inner tube. Heat loss 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 cross-sectional view of a metal vapor laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the same or corresponding parts as in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals and redundant explanation will be omitted. In the figure, reference numeral 15 denotes a high melting point metal layer with high heat reflectance that is thermally sprayed on the outer periphery of the discharge inner tube 2, and this high melting point metal layer 15 is insulated from either the cathode 5 or the anode 9. ing. Reference numeral 16 designates left and right thermal reflecting plates that are provided between the vacuum jacket 1 and the both ends of the discharge inner tube 2 in the axial direction, and tightly cover both ends of the atmospheric heat insulating layer 3. These heat reflecting plates 16 are formed by depositing, for example, gold, which is a high reflectance material, on the axially inner end surface of a ring made of a heat-resistant insulating quartz member to form a heat reflecting mirror surface 16a. Next, the operation will be explained. Between the electrodes in the atmosphere of the discharge gas 14 in the discharge inner tube 2 (
The heat generated by the pulse discharge (between the cathode 5 and the anode 9) is transferred to the discharge inner tube 2 and tries to be radiated from the discharge inner tube 2 into the atmospheric heat insulating layer 3; Heat due to radiation is reflected off the high melting point metal layer 15. For this reason,
Even if the pulse voltage applied to the electrodes is based on a low electrical input, the temperature inside the discharge inner tube 2 can be raised to a temperature of about 1500° C., which is sufficient for laser oscillation. In addition, the heat that is conducted to the discharge inner tube 2 and tries to escape to the outside from between the axial end of the discharge inner tube 2 and the vacuum jacket 1 is transferred to the heat reflecting mirror surface of the reflective sealing plate 16.
6a and is reflected into the atmospheric heat insulating layer 3. In this way, the heat radiated from the discharge inner tube 2 is reflected by the high melting point metal layer 15, and the axial heat conducted by the discharge inner tube 2 is reflected by the reflective sealing plate 16. Heat loss due to radiation from the discharge inner tube 2 is effectively prevented, and laser efficiency is improved.

【Effect of the invention】

As described above, according to the present invention, since a high melting point metal layer is formed on the outer periphery of the discharge inner tube, heat loss due to radiation from the discharge inner tube is reduced, and even with low electric power, the temperature inside the discharge inner tube can be controlled. The temperature can be easily raised to a temperature sufficient for laser oscillation, which has the effect of increasing 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, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a conventional metal vapor laser device. ■...Vacuum jacket, 2...Discharge inner tube, 3...
Atmospheric heat insulation layer, 4... Metal particles, 5... Cathode (electrode),
9...Anode (electrode), 15...High melting point metal layer. In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts. Fl Shobakkin Kasaedan

Claims (1)

[Claims] an atmospheric insulation layer filled between a discharge inner tube inserted into a vacuum jacket and disposed between electrodes and containing metal grains for generating metal vapor, and the discharge inner tube within the vacuum jacket; A metal vapor laser device comprising: a high melting point metal layer formed on the outer periphery of the discharge inner tube.