D. C. electron beam method and apparatus for continuous laser excitation
A laser is described comprising, in combination: a single enclosure having an optical axis that is defined by a resonant cavity comprising two mirrors, one at each end thereof, one or both of which is employed to extract power from the laser. The single enclosure is filled with a suitable gas laser medium and being electrically connected to a source of ground potential; a glow discharge electron gun contained within the single enclosure and having a solid wall cathode, the solid wall cathode having one or more faces emitting beam electrons. The one or more faces emitting beam electrons are constructed of a high secondary electron emission coefficient material for producing a large number of secondary electrons per incident bombarding ion. The glow discharge electron gun is coupled to receive a source of operating voltage sufficient to cause emission of beam electrons therefrom and being physically positioned to inject those beam electrons into the gas laser medium within the single enclosure, thereby exciting the gas laser medium to become a plasma volume for employment as a laser active medium; and means for producing a magnetic field for confining the beam electrons.
- Assignee:
- Applied Electron Corp., Albuquerque, NM
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4641316
- OSTI ID:
- 6719663
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 1 Oct 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GAS LASERS
DESIGN
ELECTRON BEAM INJECTION
EXCITATION
CATHODES
DIRECT CURRENT
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON EMISSION
ELECTRON GUNS
GLOW DISCHARGES
ION BEAMS
LASER CAVITIES
LASER MIRRORS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA
POSITIONING
SECONDARY EMISSION
BEAM INJECTION
BEAMS
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRODES
EMISSION
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
LASERS
LEPTON BEAMS
MIRRORS
PARTICLE BEAMS
420300* - Engineering- Lasers- (-1989)