Excitation system for an optical maser

Claim 1

EXCITATION SYSTEM FOR AN OPTICAL MASER HAVING AN ELONGATED ACTIVE MEDIUM ADAPTED FOR EXCITATION TO GENERATE MASER ACTION COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TRIGGERED ELECTRIC FLASHTUBES, EACH OF SAID FLASHTUBES BEING FORMED WITH A RECTILINEAR CENTRAL PORTION, SAID RECTILINEAR CENTRAL PORTIONS OF SAID FLASHTUBES BEING DISPOSED CONCENTRICALLY ABOUT AND HAVING SIDE WALLS CLOSELY COUPLED TO SAID ELONGATED ACTIVE MEDIUM; A REFLECTOR MEANS FORMED OF A CONDUCTIVE SHEET MATERIAL AND WOUND ABOUT SAID RECTILINEAR CENTRAL PORTIONS OF SAID FLASHTUBES IN TANGENTIALLY CONTACTING RELATION THERETO ON THE SIDES THEREOF OPPOSITE FROM THE SIDE WALLS CLOSELY COUPLED TO SAID ELONGATED ACTIVE MEDIUM; AN ELECTRIC DISCHARGE SYSTEM CONNECTED TO SAID PLURALITY OF FLASHTUBES AND ADAPTED TO DISCHARGE THERETHROUGH WHEN SAID FLASHTUBES ARE TRIGGERED; A TRIGGER TRANSFORMER HAVING A SECONDARY WINDING CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUCTIVE REFLECTOR MEANS, WHEREBY A SINGLE TRIGGER PULSE APPLIED TO SAID TRANSFORMER CAUSES SAID CONDUCTIVE REFLECTOR MEANS TO TRIGGER SAID PLURALITY OF FLASHTUBES PERMITTING THEREBY SAID ELECTRIC DISCHARGE SYSTEM TO DISCHARGE SUBSTANTIALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY THROUGH SAID PLURALITY OF FLASHTUBES TO PRODUCE AN INTENSE, BRILLANT FLASH OF LIGHT A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF WHICH WILL BE DIRECTED INTO SAID ELONGATED ACTIVE MEDIUM WITHIN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.