Nozzle for forming a free jet stream, a laser having a dye jet nozzle, and its method of manufacture

Claim 2

A process of manufacturing a nozzle for forming a free jet stream of liquid including the steps of: A. Furnishing a first block of material having an edge defined by the intersection of first and second faces of said block, for forming a portion of the exit aperture of said nozzle; B. Positioning said first block of material against a supporting block with said first face thereof generally coplanar with a corresponding first face of said supporting block and said edge in contact with said supporting block, and C. Simultaneously removing material from said first face and said corresponding first face of said supporting block while overlapping said edge whereby said edge is fully supported during said removal to become a sharp edge having a minimum of imperfections.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 wherein said second face of said block of material provides a sidewall surface of a channel for the flow of liquid outwardly of said nozzle past said edge to form said free jet stream.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said block of material is positioned against said suppoting block with said second face of said first block in optical contact with a corresponding second face of said supporting block; and further including prior to said positioning the step of polishing said second faces of said block and said supporting block.to make the same optically flat. -

Claim 5

u. A process according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3 wherein said exit aperture is formed at least partially by the edges defined by the respective intersections of first and second faces of at least two separate blocks of material, one of which is said first block and the other of which is said supporting block with said corresponding first face of said supporting block being said intersecting first face thereof, whereby two edges for said exit aperture are formed by the simultaneous removal of material from said first faces; further including the steps of: A. separating said first faces off said blocks from one another after said simultaneous removal of material therefrom; and B. thereafter positioning said edges of said blocks of material spaced apart from one another to define edges of said exit aperture.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 4 wherein said exit aperture is also formed by the edge defined by the intersection of a first and second face of a third block of material, further including the steps of: A. positioning said third block of material against said supporting block with said first face of said third block generally coplanar with said corresponding first face of said supporting block and said edge of said third block in contact with said supporting block; and B. also simultaneously removing material from said first face of said third block and said corresponding face of said supporting block while overlapping said edge of said third block whereby said edge is also fully supported during said removal to become a sharp edge having a minimum of imperfections.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 5 further including the steps of A. slicing said third block of material through said edge into two block parts; and B. thereafter positioning said edges of the resulting block parts spaced apart from one another to form opposed edges of said exit aperture.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 6 further including the steps of: - A. polishing to an optical contact finish a third face of each of said block parts which is to oppose said polished surface of said first block of material after the formation of said exit aperture; B. optically contacting the polished faces of said blocks parts with said optically polished face of said first block of material to form said opposed edges of said exit aperture; C. polishing said second face of said supporting block to an optically flat finish; D. after said optically polished faces of said two blocks are intimately engaged with said optically flat second face of said first block, polishing the opposite faces of said two block parts to optically flat finishes; and E. thereafter optically contacting said opposite faces of said two block parts with said second face of said supporting block to form said exit aperture.

Claim 9

A dye laser comprising; A. an optical resonator structure; B. means for providing at a selected location contiguous to said structure, a liquid dye capable of lasing, which means includes a nozzle for receiving a lasable liquid dye under pressure and forming a free jet stream therefrom, comprising at least two blocks of material, each of which has a first face providing a side wall surface of a channel for the flow of said liquid dye outwardly of said nozzle to form said stream and a second face intersecting said first face in optical contact with the corresponding second face of the other block; C. means for focusing to said selected location, a beam of pumping radiation capable of creating a population inversion in said dye; and D. means mounted on said optical resonator structure positioning a pair of optical reflectors respectively on opposite sides of said location to reflect optical radiation emitted by said liquid dye.

Claim 10

A dye laser comprising; A. an optical resonator structure; B. means for providing at a selected location contiguous to said structure, a liquid dye capable of lasing, which means includes a nozzle for receiving a lasable liquid dye under pressure and forming a free jet stream therefrom, comprising at least two blocks of material, each of which has a first face providing a side wall surface of a channel for the flow of said liquid dye outwardly of said nozzle to form said stream and a second face intersecting said first face in optical contact with the corresponding second face of the other block; C. means for focusing to said selected location, a beam of pumping radiation capable of creating a population inversion in said dye; and D. means mounted on said optical resonator structure positioning a pair of optical reflectors respectively on opposite sides of said location to reflect optical radiation emitted by said liquid dye.

Claim 11

A dye laser according to claim 8 wherein said nozzle comprises at least four of said blocks of material which individually have a first face providing a side wall surface of a channel for the flow of said liquid outwardly of said nozzle to form said stream, and a second face intersecting said first face having an optically flat finish, which four blocks are assembled adjacent one another to define a rectangular exit aperture with each of said second faces thereof in optical contact with a corresponding second face of an adjacent block.

Claim 12

A nozzle for receiving a liquid under pressure and forming a free jet stream therefrom, comprising at least two blocks of material, each of which has a first face providing a side wall surface of a channel for the flow of said liquid outwardly of said nozzle to form said stream and a second face intersecting said first face in optical contact with the corresponding second face of the other block.

Claim 13

A nozzle for receiving a liquid under pressure and forming a free jet stream therefrom, comprising at least two blocks of material, each of which has a first face providing a side wall surface of a channel for the flow of said liquid outwardly of said nozzle to form said stream and a second face intersecting said first face in optical contact with the corresponding second face of the other block.

Claim 14

A nozzle according to claim 10 further including a third block having a first face providing another side wall surface of a channel for the flow of said liquid outwardly of said nozzle to form said stream, which first face is provided with an optically flat finish and is opposed in spaced apart relationship to a first face of one of said other blocks of material also having an optically flat finish.

Claim 15

A nozzle according to claim 10 wherein an edge forming a portion of the exit aperture of said nozzle is provided by the intersection of said first face of each said blocks with another face thereof, each of which edges is conditioned prior to assembly of said blocks to form said exit aperture with reduced edge imperfections.

Claim 16

A nozzle for receiving a liquid under pressure and forming a free jet stream therefrom and having an exit aperture at least partially formed by an edge of a first block of material defined by the intersections of first and second faces of said block, conditioned to having a minimum of imperfections by: A. positioning said first block against a support block with said first face thereof generally coplanar with a corresponding first face of said supporting block and said edge in contact with said supporting block, and B. simultaneously removing material from said first face of said block and said corresponding first face of said supporting block while overlapping said edge whereby said edge is fully supporting during said removal.

Claim 17

A nozzle for receiving a liquid under pressure and forming a free jet stream therefrom and having an exit aperture at least partially formed by an edge of a first block of material defined by the intersections of first and second faces of said block, conditioned to having a minimum of imperfections by: A. positioning said first block against a support block with said first face thereof generally coplanar with a corresponding first face of said supporting block and said edge in contact with said supporting block, and B. simultaneously removing material from said first face of said block and said corresponding first face of said supporting block while overlapping said edge whereby said edge is fully supporting during said removal.

Claim 18

A nozzle according to claim 13 wherein said exit aperture is formed by the edges defined by the respective intersections of first and second faces of at least two blocks of material, one of which is said first block and the other of which is said supporting block with said corresponding first face of said supporting block being said intersecting first face thereof, whereby two edges for said exit aperture are formed by the simultaneous removal of material from said first faces.

Claim 19

A nozzle according to claim 13 or claim 14 wherein said second faces of said blocks provide opposed side wall surfaces of a channel for the flow of liquid outwardly through said exit aperture, each of which second faces has an optically flat finish.

Claim 20

A nozzle for receiving a liquid under pressure and forming a free jet stream therefrom having a channel for the flow of liquid therethrough outwardly through an exit aperture, said channel having opposed side wall surfaces which individually have an optically flat finish.

Claim 21

A nozzle for receiving a liquid under pressure and forming a free jet stream therefrom having a channel for the flow of liquid therethrough outwardly through an exit aperture, said channel having opposed side wall surfaces which individually have an optically flat finish.

Claim 22

A nozzle according to claim 16 wherein each of said side wall surfaces intersects another face of said nozzle at said exit aperture to define an edge for said exit aperture, each of which edges is conditioned to have a minimum of imperfections.

Claim 23

A nozzle according to claim 16 or claim 17 wherein said channel is defined by at least two blocks of material respectively providing said opposed side wall surfaces.

Claim 24

A nozzle according to claim 18 wherein said channel is rectangular in cross section at said exit aperture and is formed by four blocks of material which are in optical contact with one another at all interfaces therebetween exposed to liquid flowing in said channel.