JPH03237779A - Metal vapor laser equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the heat traveling to a laser window by heat conduction from the high temperature part of an inner discharge tube, and prevent the thermal breakdown of the laser window, by installing a heat conduction restraining means between the high temperature part of the inner discharge tube and the laser window. CONSTITUTION:A heat conduction restraining means 15 installed between an electrode 5 and a laser window 6 is constituted of a members like an SUS tube whose thermal conductivity is low, and has a flange 15a on the base end part, which frange is fixed to a flange 8 of the electrode 5. A laser window 6 constituted of quartz member is linked with the tip of a heat conduction restraining means 15. When a pulse voltage is applied between electrodes, the temperature in the vicinity of the electrodes 6 at both ends of the inner discharge tube 2 becomes high. The heat traveling from the high temperature part to the laser window 6 side by thermal conduction is blocked by the heat conduction restraining means 15, so that the breakdown of the laser window 6 caused by thermal shock from the high temperature part of 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 particles such as copper particles with discharge heat, and in particular, the 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. The present invention relates to a metal vapor laser device designed to prevent such problems.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a conventional metal vapor laser device, in which l is a vacuum jacket made of a metal outer tube;
1a is a vacuum layer formed on the peripheral wall of the vacuum jacket 1 to suppress heat loss due to radial heat transfer and convection from the discharge inner tube 2, which will be described later;
This discharge inner tube 2 is inserted into the axial center of the discharge tube 2, and the discharge inner tube 2 is made of a circular tube body with the same diameter over its entire length. 3 is an atmospheric insulation layer such as a wool layer filled between the vacuum jacket 1 and the discharge inner tube 2 to prevent heat transfer from the discharge inner tube 2 in the radial direction and heat loss due to convection;
4 is a metal grain such as a copper grain installed in the discharge inner tube 2 to generate metal vapor; 5 is an end portion of the discharge inner tube 2 (the fifth
A cylindrical cathode connected to the left end in the figure, 6 is this cathode 5
7 is a cathode terminal connected to the cathode 5 via an electrode flange 8; 9 is a cathode terminal provided at one end of the discharge inner tube 2, and 7 is a cathode terminal connected to the cathode 5 through an electrode flange 8; A cylindrical anode, IO, connected to the other end (right end in FIG. 5) of the discharge inner tube 2 is directly connected to this anode 9.
A laser window for extracting laser light on the anode side provided at the other end,
Reference numeral 11 denotes an anode terminal, and this anode terminal II is connected to the anode 9 via a connection plate 12 that closes the anode side end of the vacuum vessel I and the vacuum jacket 1, and an electrode flange 13 on the anode 9 side. has been done. 14 is the discharge inner tube 2
This is a discharge gas sealed inside. 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, but the heat loss due to this,
That is, heat loss due to radiation from the discharge inner tube 2 is suppressed as much as possible by the atmospheric heat insulating layer 3 and the vacuum layer 1a surrounding the discharge inner tube 2, so that the temperature of the discharge inner tube 2 increases. 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. Therefore, if an optical resonator (not shown) is placed outside the laser windows 6.10 at both ends of the inner discharge tube 2, the laser windows 6.10
Laser light is obtained through 0.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Since the conventional metal vapor laser device is configured as described above, the laser windows 6 and 10 directly connected to the electrode 5.9, which is the high temperature part of the discharge inner tube 2, are protected from thermal shock from the high temperature part. There was a problem that there was a risk of destruction. This invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a metal vapor laser device that can reliably prevent the destruction of the laser window due to thermal shock from the high temperature part of the discharge inner tube. purpose.

[Means to solve the problem]

A metal vapor laser device according to claim 1 of the present invention is one in which a heat conduction suppressing means is provided between a high temperature portion of an inner discharge tube and a laser window. In the metal vapor laser device according to a second aspect of the present invention, the heat conduction suppressing means is configured to have a bellows shape or a heat dissipation cooling member such as a heat dissipation fin.

[For use]

In the metal vapor laser device according to claim 1 of the present invention, the heat transferred to the laser window by heat conduction from the high-temperature part of the discharge inner tube is significantly reduced by the heat conduction suppressing means, so that the thermal shock from the discharge inner tube is significantly reduced. Breakage of the laser window can be prevented. In the metal vapor laser device according to claim 2 of the present invention, the heat conduction suppressing means has a bellows shape or a heat dissipation cooling member such as a heat dissipation fin and has a large heat dissipation area. By promoting and effectively reducing heat conduction to the laser window, it is possible to reliably prevent thermal destruction of the laser window due to thermal shock from the discharge inner tube.

【Example】

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a metal vapor laser device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and parts that are the same as or corresponding to those in FIG. In the figure, 15 is a heat conduction suppressing means provided between an electrode 5.9 (only one electrode 5 is shown) and a laser window 6.10 (only one laser window 6 is shown). The conduction suppressing means 15 is made of a member such as a SUS pipe with poor thermal conductivity, and in the illustrated example, it has a flange 15a at its base end, and this flange 15a is connected to the flange 8 of the electrode 5.9.
, 13. Laser windows 6 and 10 made of quartz material are connected to the tip of the heat conduction suppressing means 15. Next, the operation will be explained. When a pulse voltage is applied between the electrodes 5.9, the discharge inner tube 2
The parts near the electrode 5.9 at both ends become high temperature parts, and the laser window 6.1 is heated by heat conduction from the high temperature parts.
Since the heat that is about to be transmitted to the zero side is blocked by the heat conduction suppressing means 15, the laser windows 6, 10 are prevented from being destroyed by thermal shock from the high temperature portion of the discharge inner tube 2. FIG. 2 shows heat conduction suppressing means 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view of the metal vapor laser device assembled with
The heat conduction suppressing means 15 of this second embodiment is made of a bellows-shaped tube material. Since such a bellows-shaped heat conduction suppressing means 15 has a large heat dissipation area, the heat dissipation from the high temperature part of the discharge inner tube 2 to the heat conduction suppressing means 15 is promoted, and heat is transferred to the laser window 6.10. It becomes even more difficult to convey,
the laser window 6 due to thermal shock from the discharge inner tube 2;
10 can be more reliably prevented. FIG. 3 shows heat conduction suppressing means 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the metal vapor laser device in which No. 5 is assembled. The heat conduction suppressing means 15 of the third embodiment includes a plurality of annular heat dissipating fins 15c integrated at a predetermined arrangement interval along the axial direction on the outer periphery of a heat conductive shaft portion 15b, which prevents members from having poor thermal conductivity. It has a protruding configuration. Therefore, even in the heat conduction suppressing means 15 of this third embodiment, the radiation fins 15
Since the heat dissipation area is increased by c, the same effect as in the second embodiment is achieved. FIG. 4 shows heat conduction suppressing means 1 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the metal vapor laser device in which No. 5 is assembled. In this fourth embodiment, the radiation fin 15 of the third embodiment is
c are arranged and protruded at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction along the axial direction of the heat conduction shaft portion 15b, and similar effects are achieved.

【Effect of the invention】

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1, since the heat conduction suppressing means is provided between the high temperature part of the discharge inner tube and the laser window, the heat conduction from the high temperature part of the discharge inner tube is suppressed. The heat transmitted to the laser window is significantly reduced by the heat conduction suppressing means, and the laser window receives almost no thermal shock from the discharge inner tube, so thermal destruction of the laser window can be reliably prevented. There is. Further, according to the invention of claim 2, the heat conduction suppressing means has a bellows shape or is made of a heat dissipation cooling member such as a heat dissipation fin and has a large heat dissipation area, so that the heat dissipation cooling of the conductive heat from the discharge inner tube is promoted. By effectively reducing heat conduction to the laser window, thermal destruction of the laser window due to thermal shock from the discharge inner tube can be reliably prevented.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a metal vapor laser device according to a first embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a metal vapor laser device according to a second embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a metal vapor laser device according to a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a metal vapor laser device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a conventional metal vapor laser device. 2... Inner discharge tube, 4... Metal particles, 5... Cathode (electrode), 6.10... Laser window 1.9... Anode (electrode), 15... Heat conduction suppression Means, 15c...radiating fin. In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A metal vapor laser device equipped with an inner discharge tube that contains metal grains for generating metal vapor and is placed between electrodes, and a laser window that is in thermal contact with the high temperature part of the inner discharge tube. A metal vapor laser device, characterized in that heat conduction suppressing means is provided between the high temperature part of the discharge inner tube and the laser window. (2) The metal vapor laser device according to claim 1, wherein the heat conduction suppressing means comprises a heat dissipating cooling member having a large surface area, such as a bellows shape or a heat dissipating fin.