JPS6024082A - Laser oscillator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To keep the deformation of an optical resonator due to thermal variation and external force at the minimum by each bringing one of support sections for the resonator into contact with a base through spheres at two positions and the other through the combination of a V-groove and a columnar projection. CONSTITUTION:The upper surfaces of support bases 16 on a substrate 1 are formed in spheres 161, and spheres, circular cones or planes are selected as the contact surfaces of a combined side plate 24. The combination of relationship reverse to said connection may also be adopted. A columnar projection 251 is formed to the lower section of another side plate 25, and the side plate 25 is supported onto a V-shaped block 14 vertical to the direction of a major axis through the rolling surfaces of needle bearings 15. The projection 251 may be formed on the substrate 1 side. According to the constitution, a resonator can be supported stably at all times even when deformation is generated during operation, the stability of an output can be ensured, and the positional displacement of an optical axis of laser beams 8 outputted can be restrained to the minimum.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Industrial applications The present invention relates to a laser oscillator.

Conventional configuration and its problems A laser oscillator generally consists of an optical resonator, a power source, a gas system, and a cooling system.

When fixing an optical resonator to a laser oscillator main body, there are different ways of holding a small resonator and a relatively large optical resonator.

Figure 1 shows a method for holding a small resonator.

In the figure, the optical resonator 2 is a sealed laser oscillator in which a discharge tube 23 and mirrors 3 and 4 are integrated.
indicates the cooling water outlet, 7 indicates the power supply, and 8 indicates the output beam.

Such a small optical resonator 2 is mounted on a support 1 on a substrate 1.
First, it is often directly supported by a band 6 via a cushioning material 6 such as felt or resin.

In this case, deformation due to thermal expansion or external force is absorbed by the buffer material 5, but this method can only be adopted for low-output laser oscillators.

On the other hand, in a laser oscillator that obtains high output, the length of the laser tube and the number of laser tubes increase, which increases the size and weight. Therefore, as shown in FIG. The side plate 26 of the pole bearing 13 etc. is attached to the bearing 1.
2 is used to support it.

In the figure, 3 and 4 are mirrors, 9 is a folding block, 91 is a folding mirror, 8 is an output beam, and 23 is a discharge tube. This method can move freely against longitudinal thermal expansion, but
If the bottom surface of the side plate 24 is not machined at right angles as shown in FIG. However, it is still difficult to process, and high processing accuracy is still required for the horizontality of the substrate 1, the perpendicularity of the side plate 24, etc., and it is not practical.

Furthermore, optical resonator 2 has internal stress generated from the time of assembly.
is susceptible to changes in temperature during operation, deformation of the substrate 1 due to external forces, etc., which causes a significant decrease in the stability of the laser output.

Purpose of the Invention The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks and provides means for supporting an optical resonator to a laser oscillator body, which minimizes deformation of the optical resonator due to thermal fluctuations and external forces even in a laser oscillator that obtains high output. This realizes highly reliable laser oscillation.

Structure of the Invention The present invention achieves the above-mentioned object, and has a structure in which the optical resonator is provided with a support part that holds the optical resonator at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the support part is attached directly or indirectly to a base. and one of the supporting parts is in contact with the base via two spherical surfaces,
The other supporting part provides a laser oscillator characterized in that it is in contact with the base through a combination of a V-shaped groove and a cylindrical projection having a V-shaped cross section perpendicular to the long axis direction.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a laser oscillator which is an embodiment of the present invention.

In the optical resonator 2, both ends of a discharge tube 23 are held by side plates 24 and 25, and the laser beam reflected by the mirror 4 is folded back by a folding mirror 91 provided in a folding block 9, and outputted from the mirror 3. It is configured to be taken out as 8.

At this time, one side plate 24 of the optical resonator 2 is placed on the substrate 1.
It is placed via two support stands 16.

This situation is shown in FIG. 5, as shown in FIG.
The upper part has a spherical surface 161, and the abutment surface of the side plate 24 combined with the spherical surface is a conical surface or a flat surface. In this case, it is sufficient that one of the side plates 24 and each support stand 16 has a spherical shape, and a combination having the opposite relationship to the above may be used.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, one of the side plates 26 can be held by having a cylindrical projection 251 at the bottom and holding the needle bearing 1.
It is supported on the V5 block 14 via a rolling surface such as V5. In this case as well, it is sufficient that the cylindrical protrusion and the V-shaped block are arranged with the rolling surface in between, and the protrusion 251
Even if the side plate 25 also serves as the 5v5 block 14 on the side, the same effect can be obtained.

At the time of assembly, after installing the optical resonator on the support stand 16 and the V-shaped block 14, the V-type block 14 is fixed to the substrate 1, and one of the support stands, the substrate 1, and the side plate 24 are fixed. In this case, since the support base has a spherical surface, it can be fixed without causing distortion.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention has a structure in which the optical resonator is provided with a support part that holds the optical resonator at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the support part is attached directly or indirectly to a base, and the support part One side is 2
The other support part is in contact with the base through the spherical surface of the part, and the other support part is in contact with the base through a combination of a V-shaped groove with a V-shaped cross section perpendicular to the long axis direction and a cylindrical protrusion. Even if the processing accuracy of the board is poor or deformation occurs during operation, it can always be stably supported and output stability is ensured. With,
Displacement of the optical axis of the emitted laser beam 8 can be kept to a minimum.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional method of holding a small optical resonator, Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional method of holding a large optical resonator, and Figure 3 shows the optical resonance shown in Figure 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a laser oscillator according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of one side plate attachment portion of the laser oscillator shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the other side plate mounting portion of the laser oscillator in FIG. 4. FIG. 1...Substrate, 2...Optical resonator, 3,
4... Mirror, 8... Output beam, 9
...Folding block, 14...V-shaped block, 16...Support stand, 23...Discharge tube, 24.25...Side plate , 91...
Folding mirror, 251...Cylindrical projection.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 0) A support member is provided for holding the optical resonator at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the support member is directly or indirectly accessible to the base;
One of the supporting parts is in contact with the base via two spherical surfaces, and the other supporting part is a combination of a V-groove and a cylindrical projection having a V-shaped cross section perpendicular to the long axis direction. A laser oscillator characterized by being in contact with a base. ＠) The laser oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the v-groove and the cylindrical protrusion are in contact with each other via multiple surfaces.