JPH04360590A - Metal vapor laser device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To uniformly supply a current having a rapid rise to a laser tube. CONSTITUTION:A laser tube 21 is provided in a laser outer cylindrical tube 22, and discharge electrodes 23, 24 are respectively provided at both ends of the tube 21. A reverse current to the current in the tube 21 flows in the tube 22. A high voltage section 25 and a low voltage section 26 of the tube 22 are partitioned by a current rise compensating capacitor 28. A plurality of the capacitors 28 are arranged at its axis in parallel with the tube 21 and at an interval in a circumferential direction. The capacitors 28 are connected directly to a pulse supply source 29. Thus, the current supplied from the source 29 is once risen, charged in the capacitor 28, and then fed directly and uniformly to the tube 21 without supplying to other current loop.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a metal vapor laser device, and more particularly to a metal vapor laser device that can reduce power loss in an electrical transmission circuit and output laser light with high energy conversion efficiency.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Metal vapor laser devices excite the metal vapor, which is the laser medium, by a rapidly rising pulse discharge, so there are severe restrictions on circuit design. A current feedback loop is provided in the laser tube, and a current rise compensation capacitor is connected in parallel with the laser tube to compensate for the rise of the current flowing through the laser tube.

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) show a conventional metal vapor laser device of this type. In the figures, reference numeral 1 is a laser tube, and this laser tube 1 is connected to a laser outer cylinder tube 2. It has discharge electrodes 3 and 4 at both ends. The laser outer cylindrical tube 2 is made of metal so that a current flows in the opposite direction to the current inside the laser tube 1, and is partitioned with an insulator 7 in the middle to insulate the high voltage side 5 and the low voltage side 6. Both ends thereof are connected to a current rise compensation capacitor 8.

In the above configuration, the current supplied from the pulse supply power supply 9 is once charged into the current rise compensation capacitor 8, and becomes a current with a faster rise.
is supplied into the laser tube 1 and flows along arrows 10 and 11,
Return to power source 9. At this time, since the current flowing inside the laser tube 1 and the current flowing through the laser outer tube 2 are in opposite directions, the induced component of the laser tube 1 can be reduced.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional metal vapor laser device, the capacitor 8 for current rise compensation is arranged in a straight line at a different position from the laser tube 1. There is a problem in that the area created by the shaded portion 12 shown in a) becomes large, an inductive component distributed in the electric circuit is generated there, and the rise of the current flowing into the laser tube 1 is restricted.

With this structure, considering the insulation distance within the electric circuit, it is difficult to further reduce the inductive component of the electric circuit, and it is also difficult to miniaturize the device, making it difficult to achieve energy conversion efficiency and reliability as a laser device. There may be disadvantages from a gender perspective.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and reduces the induced components in the electric circuit without compromising the safety of the device such as insulation, and enables laser oscillation with high energy conversion efficiency. The object of the present invention is to provide a metal vapor laser device that can perform the following steps.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] As a means for achieving the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides discharge electrodes at both ends of a laser tube as a pulse discharge tube, and provides current feedback at the outer periphery of the laser tube. In a metal vapor laser device in which a laser outer cylinder tube provided with a loop is disposed and an insulating part for insulating a high voltage side and a low voltage side is provided in the middle of this laser outer cylinder tube, the insulating part includes: It is characterized in that a plurality of current rise compensation capacitors whose axes are parallel to the laser tube are directly arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0009]

[Operation] In the metal vapor laser device according to the present invention,
A plurality of current rise compensation capacitors whose axes are parallel to the laser tube are directly arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction on an insulating portion that insulates the high voltage side and the low voltage side. For this reason,
The current charged in the current rise compensation capacitor is
It is uniformly supplied to the laser tube without flowing through other electrical circuit loops, reducing induced components and better compensating for current rise. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform laser oscillation with high energy conversion efficiency.

0010

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 1(a), reference numeral 21 indicates a laser tube, and this laser tube 21 is arranged inside a laser outer tube 22, and discharge electrodes 23 and 24 are provided at both ends of the laser tube 21. Each is provided.

The laser outer tube 22 is made of metal so that a current flows in the opposite direction to the current inside the laser tube 21, and its high voltage portion 25 and low voltage portion 26 are arranged as shown in FIG. 1(a).
) and (b), the laser tube 21 is partitioned by a plurality of current rise compensation capacitors 28 arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction with their axes parallel to the laser tube 21. Both ends of the current rise compensation capacitor 28 are directly connected to a pulse supply power source 29. The current supplied from the pulse supply power source 29 is once charged into the current rise compensation capacitor 28, and then is directly and uniformly supplied into the laser tube 21 without flowing through any other current loop. .

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

In this embodiment, the laser outer tube 22 and the current rise compensation capacitor 28 are integrated. Therefore, the current supplied from the pulse supply power source 29 is once charged in the current rise compensation capacitor 28, and then is directly and uniformly supplied into the laser tube 21 without flowing through any other current loop. As a result, the area of the shaded area 32 between the laser outer cylindrical tube 22 and the current rise compensation capacitor 28 is significantly reduced, the induced component due to the extra current loop is eliminated, and the current uniformly flows into the laser tube 21. become. Therefore, a current with a fast rising speed passes through the laser tube 21, and laser oscillation can be performed with high energy conversion efficiency.

[0015]

As explained above, the present invention provides a plurality of current rise compensation capacitors whose axes are parallel to the laser tube in the insulating portion between the high voltage side and the low voltage side of the laser outer tube in the circumferential direction. Since they are arranged directly at intervals, it is possible to reduce unnecessary induction components in the electric circuit of the laser device and uniformly flow a current with a fast rise into the laser tube. Therefore, laser oscillation can be performed with high energy conversion efficiency.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1(a) is a schematic plan view showing a metal vapor laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) is a side view of FIG. 1(a).

FIG. 2(a) is a schematic plan view showing a conventional metal vapor laser device, and FIG. 2(b) is a side view of FIG. 2(a).

[Explanation of symbols]

21 Laser tube 22 Laser outer tube 23, 24 Discharge electrode 25 High voltage section 26 Low voltage section 28 Current rise compensation capacitor 29 Pulse supply power source

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: Discharge electrodes are provided at both ends of a laser tube as a pulsed discharge tube, and a laser outer tube provided with a current feedback loop is disposed around the outer periphery of the laser tube. In a metal vapor laser device in which an insulating part for insulating a high voltage side and a low voltage side is provided in the middle of an outer cylindrical tube, a plurality of current rise compensation capacitors whose axes are parallel to the laser tube are provided in the insulating part, A metal vapor laser device characterized in that the metal vapor laser device is directly arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction.