RF excited laser with internally folded resonator

Patent · Tue Jan 02 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:7199686

Sutter, L V; Cameron, H A; Davison, M R

This patent describes a transversely RF excited gas laser with an internally folded resonator. The transversely RF excited gas laser comprising: an elongated chamber of cross- sectional dimensions suitable for confining a laser gas discharge; a plurality of reflectors which form a stable folded laser resonator cavity of a compact geometry in order to efficiently extract laser power from the laser resonator cavity wherein there are at least two of the plurality of reflectors and at least one of the plurality of reflectors is concave; a laser gas which is disposed in the folded resonator cavity which reflect and guide light energy from the laser gas discharge within the elongated chamber; a pair of electrodes are transversely disposed on the elongated chamber and excite the laser gas; a pair of cooling electrodes are transversely disposed on the elongated chamber and electrically coupled to ground; and impedance- matching means for applying RF power to the pair of electrodes. The impedance matching means including three inductors with a center-tapped coil being adjusted so that the voltage potential at the center of the laser discharge between the pair of cooling electrodes is a virtual ground thereby preventing RF current from passing through the pair of grounded cooling electrodes in order to efficiently extract laser power from the laser resonator cavity.

• Assignee: NOV; NOV-90-006227; EDB-90-070187
• Patent Number(s): A; US 4891819
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-298109A
• OSTI ID: 7199686
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426002* -- Engineering-- Lasers & Masers-- (1990-)
DESIGN
ELECTRODES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
GAS LASERS
LASER CAVITIES
LASERS
RESONATORS
RF SYSTEMS