EP0001032B1 — Gas laser with transversal excitation

Claim 1

Independent Claim 254 words

Gas laser with transverse excitation at atmospheric pressure, comprising a housing (12, 12', 21, 21') containing an electrode system (10, 11) in a gas stream, the first electrode (10) of the system, which electrode (10) serves for the main discharge, being connected to a high voltage lead (22) leading to the outside, the housing having a mirror (18) at its closed end, which, in operation as a laser, totally reflects the laser beam to the other end, and which is connected, by way of spacer elements (16) which ensure mechanical stability, to a semi-transparent mirror (18) fixed in the region of this second end face, each of the mirrors (18) being replaced by a closure window when the laser is operated as an amplifier, for transmitting the amplified laser beam, both the mirrors (18) and the closure windows being arranged at the height of the space between the electrodes (10, 11); the interior of the housing being subdivided into a resonator chamber (5) for accommodating the discharge and a cooler or ventilator chamber (6) by means of a partition (3) which is integral with the second electrode (11) of the electrode system (10, 11), which electrode is provided for the main discharge, the said two chambers (5, 6) being interconnected by a gas transport channel (8), characterised in that the wall is constructed as an earth rail (3) bearing against the longitudinal side walls (21, 21') of the housing, and in that the gas transport channel (8) extends along the outside of the housing.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 254 words

Gas laser with transverse excitation at atmospheric pressure, comprising a housing (12, 12', 21, 21') containing an electrode system (10, 11) in a gas stream, the first electrode (10) of the system, which electrode (10) serves for the main discharge, being connected to a high voltage lead (22) leading to the outside, the housing having a mirror (18) at its closed end, which, in operation as a laser, totally reflects the laser beam to the other end, and which is connected, by way of spacer elements (16) which ensure mechanical stability, to a semi-transparent mirror (18) fixed in the region of this second end face, each of the mirrors (18) being replaced by a closure window when the laser is operated as an amplifier, for transmitting the amplified laser beam, both the mirrors (18) and the closure windows being arranged at the height of the space between the electrodes (10, 11); the interior of the housing being subdivided into a resonator chamber (5) for accommodating the discharge and a cooler or ventilator chamber (6) by means of a partition (3) which is integral with the second electrode (11) of the electrode system (10, 11), which electrode is provided for the main discharge, the said two chambers (5, 6) being interconnected by a gas transport channel (8), characterised in that the wall is constructed as an earth rail (3) bearing against the longitudinal side walls (21, 21') of the housing, and in that the gas transport channel (8) extends along the outside of the housing.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 54 words

Gas laser according to claim 1, characterised in that the second electrode (11) constructed as earth rail (3) extends parallel to the optical axis and has cooling channels (4) drilled or cast in a plane parallel to said axis and extending through the earth rail (3) in a straight line or a meandering line.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 60 words

Gas laser according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the second electrode (11) of the electrode system (10, 11) is on that side of the earth rail (3) which faces the resonator chamber (5), and the first electrode (10) faces it as a counter-electrode at a distance corresponding to the height of the gas transport channel (8).

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 75 words

Gas laser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the housing (2) has a substantially rectangular cross-section and the opposing longitudinal side walls (21, 21') each have an opening, (7 to 7"') into which the gas transport channel opens, both in the region of the resonator chamber (5) and in the region of the cooler or ventilator chamber (6), extending in each case over the whole length of the wall.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 47 words

Gas laser according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the gas transport channel (8) has a substantially C-shaped or U-shaped section and its cross-section is either uniform over its whole length or tapers towards the opening (7) (Figures 1, 3, 4).

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 62 words

Gas laser according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the gas transport channel (8) contains a gas purification and regeneration device (9) adapted to its cross-section, which device (9) preferably consists of a molecular filter, a gas drying vessel, an oxidation stage, a reduction stage or a combination of these individual apparatus (Figures 1, 3, 4).

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 63 words

Gas laser according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the spacer elements (16) connecting the two mirrors (18) comprise at least three rods having a low coefficient of thermal expansion, e.g. rods of ceramics or Invar steel, situated outside or partly outside the housing (2) and parallel to the optical axis (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 57 words

Gas laser according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, characterised in that inside the housing (2), parallel to the earth rail (3) and at a distance thereto, a partition (19) is introduced, the resulting space between the partition and the earth rail accommodating the spacer elements (16') connecting the two mirrors (18) (Figure 3).

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 83 words

Gas laser according to any one of the claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the two walls of the housing facing the earth rail (3) on both sides thereof are formed as covers (12; 12') and are detachably connected to the remainder of the housing (2) by O-rings (44) and screws (45), and that the cover (12) which closes the resonator and discharge chamber (5) is provided with high voltage feed-through leads to the electrode system (10, 11) (Figures 1, 3, 4).

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 41 words

Gas laser according to any one of the claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the housing (2) is made of metal, ceramics or quartz material, and the earth rail (3) of thermally and electrically conductive material, e.g. Cu or Al.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 29 words

Gas laser according to claim 1 or claim 8, characterised in that an electronic ignition device (27 to 28') is integrated with the housing (2) (Figures 4, 6, 7).

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 45 words

Gas laser according to claim 11, characterised in that the electronic ignition device (27 to 28') is arranged in the space in the housing between the resonator or discharge chamber (5) and cooler or ventilator chamber (6) and extends parallel thereto. (Figures 4, 6, 7).

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 32 words

Gas laser according to claims 11 and 12, characterised in that the resonator chamber (5) and the cooler or ventilator chamber (6) are constructed as attachable housing units (5'; 6') (Figure 7).

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 45 words

Gas laser according to claim 11 or claim 12, characterised in that the electronic ignition device (27 to 28') is composed of a single structural component or of one component for the preliminary discharge and another for the main discharge coupled by a timing element.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 62 words

Gas laser according to claim 14, characterised in that each component of the ignition device (27 to 28') comprises a spark gap (27') actuated by a trigger device (28) and optionally a supply unit (28'), which spark gap (27') is connected to the electrode system (10, 11) by a capacitor (27) and optionally also by a pulse transformer (23) (Figures 6, 7).

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 36 words

Gas laser according to any one of the claims 11 to 15, characterised in that the space of the housing (2') containing the ignition device (27 to 28') is filled with an insulating liquid or gas.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 71 words

Gas laser according to any one of the claims 1 to 16, characterised in that the totally reflective mirror (18) fixed to one end wall (29) in the space between the electrodes (10; 11) reflects the laser beam through an opposite aperture in an end wall (30) of the resonator chamber to a partially transparent and adjustable mirror (18') attached to an end wall (32) of the housing (2) (Figure 7).

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 51 words

Gas laser according to claim 17, characterised in that the totally reflective mirror (18) is sunk into the external wall (29') of the housing (2), which is parallel to the end wall (29) of the resonator chamber (5), and the end wall (29) has an opening facing the mirror (Figure 7).

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 23 words

Gas laser according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by its use as CO-, CO z- , N z - or Eximer-laser.

Gas laser with transversal excitation

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