Laser system with optical coherence coupling means

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COHERENT RADIATION COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF UNITS OF AN ACTIVE MEDIUM CONTAINING ATOMS HAVING THE PROPERTY THAT, WHEN THEY ARE STRUCK BY A STIMULATING PHOTON, THEY EMIT A CASCADE OF COHERENT PHOTONS; EACH UNIT HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS; WAVE REFLECTOR MEANS ASSOCIATED ONE WITH EACH OF SAID SECOND ENDS DEFINING ENDS OF PATHS TRAVERSING EACH UNIT ALONG WHICH A COLLECTION OF SUCH PHOTONS CAN BUILD UP INTO A WAVE DIRECTED ALONG SAID PATHS, EACH OF SAID PATHS BEING SEVERAL WAVE LENGTHS LONG RELATIVE TO SAID WAVE; SAID FIRST END HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY TOTAL TRANSPARENCY TO SAID WAVE, COUPLING MEANS INCLUDING A MEDIUM ADAPTED TO PROPAGATE SAID WAVES OPTICALLY COUPLED BETWEEN SAID FIRST ENDS FOR PROPAGATING SAID WAVES BETWEEN SAID UNITS, SAID COUPLING MEANS PROVIDING AT LEAST ONE RADIATION PATH BETWEEN SAID FIRST ENDS WHICH IS ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN COHERENCE BETWEEN ALL OF SAID WAVES, PROPAGATING THERETHROUGH BETWEEN ANY PAIR OF SAID REFLECTOR MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SECOND ENDS; AND, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID WAVE REFLECTOR MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OF SAID SECOND ENDS ADAPTED TO TRANSMIT A PORTION OF THE INCIDENT WAVES AS COHERENT RADIATION.