WO1981002954A1 - Carbon monoxide laser - Google Patents

Carbon monoxide laser Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1981002954A1
WO1981002954A1 PCT/NL1981/000008 NL8100008W WO8102954A1 WO 1981002954 A1 WO1981002954 A1 WO 1981002954A1 NL 8100008 W NL8100008 W NL 8100008W WO 8102954 A1 WO8102954 A1 WO 8102954A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
tube
partial pressure
torr
gas
laser according
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/NL1981/000008
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
P Peters
R Zuidema
W Witteman
Original Assignee
Stichting Fund Ond Material
P Peters
R Zuidema
W Witteman
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Stichting Fund Ond Material, P Peters, R Zuidema, W Witteman filed Critical Stichting Fund Ond Material
Priority to DE19813142260 priority Critical patent/DE3142260A1/en
Publication of WO1981002954A1 publication Critical patent/WO1981002954A1/en

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/02—Constructional details
    • H01S3/03—Constructional details of gas laser discharge tubes
    • H01S3/038—Electrodes, e.g. special shape, configuration or composition
    • H01S3/0388—Compositions, materials or coatings
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/02—Constructional details
    • H01S3/03—Constructional details of gas laser discharge tubes
    • H01S3/036—Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired gas pressure within the tube, e.g. by gettering, replenishing; Means for circulating the gas, e.g. for equalising the pressure within the tube
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/14—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range characterised by the material used as the active medium
    • H01S3/22—Gases
    • H01S3/223—Gases the active gas being polyatomic, i.e. containing two or more atoms
    • H01S3/2232—Carbon dioxide (CO2) or monoxide [CO]

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a gas laser operating at rocm temperature and consisting of a substantially cylindriform, hermetically sealed tube provided with two metal electrodes and two mirrors disposed near the respective end plates, one of them being a total reflector and the other partially transparent, which cylindriform tube is filled with a gas mixture conprising carbon monoxide, helium and xenon.
  • Such a gas laser is known from an article by P.G. Browne and A.L.S. Smith, published in J.Phys.E.-Sci.Instrum. 8(1975), page 870.
  • the gas laser described in this article is provided with copper electrodes and filled with a gas mixture consisting of carbon monoxide with a partial pressure at room temperature of 1.3 torr, helium with a partial pressure of 18.7 torr and xenon with a partial pressure of 2 torr.
  • a palladium tube is located near the cathode, which palladium tube is heated during operation of the laser and is intended to remove hydrogen and/or possible hydrogen compounds from the laser gas mixture.
  • the known gas laser can operate continuously for a period of over 100 hours and with an efficiency of 8%.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a continuously operating carbon monoxide laser with a more stable operation than the gas laser described above, further having a higher efficiency, and finally not being provided with a palladium tube which has to be heated during operation of the laser.
  • a laser of the type described in the beginning which laser according to the present invention is characterized in that the electrodes consist of gold or a gilt material and that the gas mixture in the tube consists of nitrogen with a partial pressure at room temperature of 0.1-2.0 torr, xenon with a partial pressure of 1.0-3.0 torr, carbon monoxide with a partial pressure of 1.0-3.5 torr, and helium with a partial pressure of 15-30 torr.
  • the invention relates more in particular to a gas laser with a gas mixture consisting of nitrogen with a partial pressure at room tenperature of 1.1 torr, xenon with a partial pressure of 2.0 torr, carbon monoxide with a partial pressure of 2.4 torr, and helium v/ith a partial pressure of 27.0 torr.
  • the operation of the gas laser according to the invention is improved if the gas mixture also comprises oxygen in such an amount that the partial pressure at room temperature does not exceed 60 mtorr.
  • the optical system of the laser oscillation cavity consists of a metal mirror on which a 100% reflecting gold layer is deposited, and of a partially reflecting mirror. Quartz glass is the preferred material for the laser tube. The application of a cooling jacguet is to be preferred.
  • a zeolite is put into the laser tube which zeolite is activated, before the tube is filled with gas, by heating up to about 100oc, while the freed gases are pumped away.
  • figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a laser according to the in vention
  • figure 2 shows in three graphs the relationship between the efficiency, the output and the laser voltage, respectively as a function of the current of a laser according to the invention
  • figure 3 shows the output of a laser according to the invention as a function of the partial pressures of carton monoxide and nitrogen, respectively.
  • a gas laser according to the invention is diagraimiatically shown.
  • the laser consists of a substantially cylindriform tube 1 of quartz glass with an inner length of 97 cm and an inner diameter of 6 mm.
  • the tube 1 is further provided with two recesses 2, in each of which is located an electrode 3 of gold or a gilt material. Each of the electrodes 3 is fixed on a tungsten pin 4 extending outside through the wall of the recess 2.
  • Each end plate of the tube 1 is provided with a mirror.
  • the mirror 5 is a totally reflecting hollow mirror with a radius of curvature of 250 cm and the mirror 6 is a flat mirror having a reflection of 86%, and a transmission of 10%.
  • the tube 1 is provided with a cooling jacguet 7 through which cooling water flows.
  • a zeolite is disposed in a recess 8 a zeolite is disposed.
  • the tube 1 was evacuated and then filled with a gas mixture consisting of nitrogen with a partial pressure at room temperature of
  • a zeolite was put into the recess 8. This zeolite can be heated from the outside. Thereafter, the tube 1 was sealed and electric discharges were sent through the gas mixture during a relatively short period, e.g. at least 10 minutes. Thereafter, the tube was washed and filled again with a gas mixture of the same original composition. The tube which was meanwhile sealed, was then in working condition.
  • the tube had a maximum output of 28.5 watt at an efficiency of 15%.
  • the efficiency, the output and the discharge voltage are shown in figure 2 as functions of the laser current.
  • the output of the gas laser according to the invention is shown as a function of the partial pressures (torr) of carton monoxide and nitrogen, respectively. Each closed curve is a line connecting points representing the same output (watt). From figure 3 it can be seen that the maximum output is obtained at a partial nitrogen pressure of about 1.1 torr and a partial carbon monoxide pressure of about 2.4 torr.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Lasers (AREA)

Abstract

A gas laser operating at room temperature, consisting of a cylindriform sealed tube (1) with two electrodes (3) of gold or a gilt material and filled with nitrogen with a partial pressure at room temperature of 0.1-2.0 torr, xenon with a partial pressure of 1.0-3.0 torr, carbon monoxide with a partial pressure of 1.0- 3.5 torr, helium with a partial pressure of 15-30 torr and possibly oxygen with a partial pressure of not more than 60 mtorr. The laser tube may be equipped with a hollow metal mirror (5) provided with a 100% reflecting gold coating and a flat mirror (6) being a partially transparent window, Further it may contain a zeolite (8).

Description

Carton monoxide laser
The invention relates to a gas laser operating at rocm temperature and consisting of a substantially cylindriform, hermetically sealed tube provided with two metal electrodes and two mirrors disposed near the respective end plates, one of them being a total reflector and the other partially transparent, which cylindriform tube is filled with a gas mixture conprising carbon monoxide, helium and xenon.
Such a gas laser is known from an article by P.G. Browne and A.L.S. Smith, published in J.Phys.E.-Sci.Instrum. 8(1975), page 870. The gas laser described in this article is provided with copper electrodes and filled with a gas mixture consisting of carbon monoxide with a partial pressure at room temperature of 1.3 torr, helium with a partial pressure of 18.7 torr and xenon with a partial pressure of 2 torr. In this gas laser a palladium tube is located near the cathode, which palladium tube is heated during operation of the laser and is intended to remove hydrogen and/or possible hydrogen compounds from the laser gas mixture.
The known gas laser can operate continuously for a period of over 100 hours and with an efficiency of 8%.
The object of the present invention is to provide a continuously operating carbon monoxide laser with a more stable operation than the gas laser described above, further having a higher efficiency, and finally not being provided with a palladium tube which has to be heated during operation of the laser.
This object is achieved by a laser of the type described in the beginning which laser according to the present invention is characterized in that the electrodes consist of gold or a gilt material and that the gas mixture in the tube consists of nitrogen with a partial pressure at room temperature of 0.1-2.0 torr, xenon with a partial pressure of 1.0-3.0 torr, carbon monoxide with a partial pressure of 1.0-3.5 torr, and helium with a partial pressure of 15-30 torr.
The invention relates more in particular to a gas laser with a gas mixture consisting of nitrogen with a partial pressure at room tenperature of 1.1 torr, xenon with a partial pressure of 2.0 torr, carbon monoxide with a partial pressure of 2.4 torr, and helium v/ith a partial pressure of 27.0 torr.
Further it has been found that the operation of the gas laser according to the invention is improved if the gas mixture also comprises oxygen in such an amount that the partial pressure at room temperature does not exceed 60 mtorr.
The optical system of the laser oscillation cavity consists of a metal mirror on which a 100% reflecting gold layer is deposited, and of a partially reflecting mirror. Quartz glass is the preferred material for the laser tube. The application of a cooling jacguet is to be preferred.
In order to prevent the presence of hydrogen and/or hydrogen compounds in the laser gas mixture, which substances adversely influence the laser operation, a zeolite is put into the laser tube which zeolite is activated, before the tube is filled with gas, by heating up to about 100ºc, while the freed gases are pumped away.
The invention will now be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a laser according to the in vention, figure 2 shows in three graphs the relationship between the efficiency, the output and the laser voltage, respectively as a function of the current of a laser according to the invention, and figure 3 shows the output of a laser according to the invention as a function of the partial pressures of carton monoxide and nitrogen, respectively. Referring to figure 1 , a gas laser according to the invention is diagraimiatically shown. The laser consists of a substantially cylindriform tube 1 of quartz glass with an inner length of 97 cm and an inner diameter of 6 mm. The tube 1 is further provided with two recesses 2, in each of which is located an electrode 3 of gold or a gilt material. Each of the electrodes 3 is fixed on a tungsten pin 4 extending outside through the wall of the recess 2. Each end plate of the tube 1 is provided with a mirror. The mirror 5 is a totally reflecting hollow mirror with a radius of curvature of 250 cm and the mirror 6 is a flat mirror having a reflection of 86%, and a transmission of 10%. Over a part of its length the tube 1 is provided with a cooling jacguet 7 through which cooling water flows. In a recess 8 a zeolite is disposed.
The tube 1 was evacuated and then filled with a gas mixture consisting of nitrogen with a partial pressure at room temperature of
1.1 torr, xenon with a partial pressure of 2.0 torr, carbon monoxide with a partial pressure of 2.4 torr, helium with a partial pressure of 27.0 torr, and oxygen with a partial pressure of 60 mtorr. Further a zeolite was put into the recess 8. This zeolite can be heated from the outside. Thereafter, the tube 1 was sealed and electric discharges were sent through the gas mixture during a relatively short period, e.g. at least 10 minutes. Thereafter, the tube was washed and filled again with a gas mixture of the same original composition. The tube which was meanwhile sealed, was then in working condition.
During a working period of more than 100 hours the tube had a maximum output of 28.5 watt at an efficiency of 15%. The efficiency, the output and the discharge voltage are shown in figure 2 as functions of the laser current. Tests carried out with electrodes of a material other than gold, such as platinum or copper, gave a less stable output while furthermore the maximum output could be obtained during a. few hours only. Tests carried out with gas mixtures with and without oxygen, respectively indicated that the presence of a very small amount of oxygen promoted the occurence of electric discharges. in figure 3 the output of the gas laser according to the invention is shown as a function of the partial pressures (torr) of carton monoxide and nitrogen, respectively. Each closed curve is a line connecting points representing the same output (watt). From figure 3 it can be seen that the maximum output is obtained at a partial nitrogen pressure of about 1.1 torr and a partial carbon monoxide pressure of about 2.4 torr.

Claims

1. A gas laser operating at room temperature and consisting of a substantially cylindriform,hermetically sealed tube provided with two metal electrodes and two inirrors disposed near the respective end plates, one of them being a total reflector and the other partially transparent, which cylindriform tube is filled with a gas mixture comprising carbon monoxide, helium and xenon, charac teri zed in that the electrodes consist of gold or a gilt material and that the gas mixture in the tube consists of nitrogen with a partial pressure at room tem perature of 0.1-2.0 torr, xenon with a partial pressure of 1.0-3.0 torr, carton monoxide with a partial pressure of 1.0-3.5 torr, and helium with a partial pressure of 15-30 torr.
2. A gas laser according to claim 1, characer i zed in that the gas mixture consists of nitrogen with a partial pressure at room temperature of 1.1 torr, xenon with a partial pressure of 2.0 torr, carbon monoxide with a partial pressure of 2.4 torr, and helium with a partial pressure of 27.0 torr.
3. A gas laser according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gas mixture also comprises oxygen with a partial pressure at room temperature of not more than 60 mtorr.
4. A gas laser according to one of the preceding claims, charac teri z ed by one mirror being a metal mirror provided with a 100% reflecting gold coating and the other mirror being a partially transparent window.
5. A gas laser according to one of the preceding claims, c h ar a c t e r i z e d i n that the tube contains zeolite.
6. A gas laser according to one or more of the preceding claims, c h ar a c t e r i z e d in that the tube is made of quartz glass.
7. A gas laser according to one of the preceding claims, c h ar a c t e r i z e d i n that at least a part of the length of the tube is provided with a cooling jacguet.
8. A method of manufacturing a gas laser according to one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that a substartially cylindriform tube provided with two electrodes is filled with a gas mixture having a composition according to claim 1 or 2, that thereafter the tube is sealed and electric discharges are generated in the tube for at least ten minutes and that finally the gas in the tube is replaced by a fresh gas mixture having the same original composition.
9. A method according to claim 8 of manufacturing a gas laser according to one of the claims 5-7, c har ac ter i z e d in that before the tube is filled with gas the zeolite is heated to about 100ºC and the freed gases are pumped away, whereafter the gas mixture is introduced into the tube.
PCT/NL1981/000008 1980-04-01 1981-03-31 Carbon monoxide laser WO1981002954A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19813142260 DE3142260A1 (en) 1980-04-01 1981-03-31 CARBON MONOXIDE LASER

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL8001909 1980-04-01
NL8001909A NL8001909A (en) 1980-04-01 1980-04-01 CARBON MONOXIDE GAS LASER.

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1981002954A1 true WO1981002954A1 (en) 1981-10-15

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ID=19835094

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/NL1981/000008 WO1981002954A1 (en) 1980-04-01 1981-03-31 Carbon monoxide laser

Country Status (4)

Country Link
JP (1) JPS57500359A (en)
GB (1) GB2085648B (en)
NL (1) NL8001909A (en)
WO (1) WO1981002954A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3148570A1 (en) * 1981-12-08 1983-06-23 Eltro GmbH, Gesellschaft für Strahlungstechnik, 6900 Heidelberg METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPERATING A CO (ARROW DOWN) 2 (ARROW DOWN) GAS LASER
EP0742621A1 (en) * 1995-05-08 1996-11-13 Wild GmbH High-frequency excited gas-laser

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0412582A (en) * 1990-05-01 1992-01-17 Sangyo Souzou Kenkyusho Co laser apparatus

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3614507A (en) * 1968-02-15 1971-10-19 Philips Corp Device for producing stimulated infrared emission, iraser, by means of an electric discharge in a gas mixture consisting partly of carbonic acid gas, and discharge tube destined for such a device
US3761838A (en) * 1970-09-11 1973-09-25 Northrop Corp Room temperature co laser
NL7710958A (en) * 1977-10-06 1979-04-10 Philips Nv Glass-carbon IR laser - consists of quartz tube with mixt. of carbon di:oxide and water vapour and alloy cathode surface

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3614507A (en) * 1968-02-15 1971-10-19 Philips Corp Device for producing stimulated infrared emission, iraser, by means of an electric discharge in a gas mixture consisting partly of carbonic acid gas, and discharge tube destined for such a device
US3761838A (en) * 1970-09-11 1973-09-25 Northrop Corp Room temperature co laser
NL7710958A (en) * 1977-10-06 1979-04-10 Philips Nv Glass-carbon IR laser - consists of quartz tube with mixt. of carbon di:oxide and water vapour and alloy cathode surface

Non-Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
Applied Physics Letters, vol. 18, no. 10, published May 15, 1971, (New York, US) C. Freed: "Sealed-off operation of stable CO lasers", pages 458-461 *
Applied Physics Letters, vol. 37, no. 2, published July 15, 1980 (New York, US) P.J.M. Peters et al.: "Efficient simple sealed-off CO-laser at room temperature", pages 119-121 *
IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. QE-12, no. 1, published January 1976, (New York, US), H. Keren et al.: "Positive ion spectra in He-CO-O2-laser discharges", pages 58-60 *
Journal of Physics E: Scientific Instruments vol. 8, no. 10, published October 1975, (London, GB), P.G. Brown et al.: "Efficient long life sealed CO lasers at room temperature", pages 870-874 *
Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Natuurkunde, vol. 40, no. 9, published May 11, 1974, (Utrecht, NL), L. Wolterbeek-Muller: "De gasontladings-CO-laser", pages 123-126 *
S. Dushman: "Scientific Foundations of vaccum Technique", published 1962, by John Wiley, (New York, London), see paragraph 7-6; pages 458-469 *
Soviet Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. 9, no. 10, published October 1979, (New York, US), V.I. Masychev: "Possibility of increasing the efficiency of sealed carbon monoxide lasers", pages 1285-1287 *

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3148570A1 (en) * 1981-12-08 1983-06-23 Eltro GmbH, Gesellschaft für Strahlungstechnik, 6900 Heidelberg METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPERATING A CO (ARROW DOWN) 2 (ARROW DOWN) GAS LASER
EP0742621A1 (en) * 1995-05-08 1996-11-13 Wild GmbH High-frequency excited gas-laser

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS57500359A (en) 1982-02-25
NL8001909A (en) 1981-11-02
GB2085648A (en) 1982-04-28
GB2085648B (en) 1983-11-02

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