Inert gas metallic vapor laser
An inert gas-copper vapor laser is described consisting of a multichamber structure, wherein inert gases are heated, mixed with copper powder which is then vaporized, thereby establishing an inert gas-copper vapor mixture, in a plenum chamber. The inert gas copper vapor mixture, hereinafter referred to as the lasant, passes from the plenum chamber through a nozzle into a laser chamber, wherein it flows a lasant stream of a desired velocity; positioned in the laser chamber are a pair of spaced apart mirrors and a pair of spaced apart electrodes which together form a cylindrical laser cavity through which the lasant flows. One or both electrodes are comb-shaped. Each comb-shaped electrode consists of a plurality of equal length wires, all of which are connected together at a common terminal. The ends of the wires, opposite the ends which are connected together at the common terminal, define tips which are equally spaced apart in a direction parallel to the cavity axis and are equally spaced therefrom. Current discharge due to a current pulse applied to the electrodes takes place at the wires' tips. Each electrode is protected by a boron nitride electrode protective member which is slotted so that only the tips of the wires are exposed to the opposite electrode and to the hot plasma flowing between the electrodes through the laser cavity. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Originating Research Org. not identified
- NSA Number:
- NSA-33-002863
- Assignee:
- TIC; NSA-33-002863
- Patent Number(s):
- US 3906398
- OSTI ID:
- 4183573
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 1973 Dec 01; Other Information: H01s3/22; H01s3/06. Orig. Receipt Date: 30-JUN-76
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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