Gas laser having excitation chambers with multiple channels

Claim 1

In a gas laser excitation apparatus having a sealed enclosure defining a laser cavity therein, means for supplying a lasing gas to said cavity, reflector means positioned at opposite ends of said enclosure, means positioned about at least a portion of said enclosure for providing an axial magnetic field within said cavity, a plurality of anodes and a plurality of cathodes coaxially positioned in said cavity, each of said anodes being positioned intermediate a pair of said cathodes and sharing a cathode positioned therebetween such that each pair of said cathodes an an intermediate anode forming an excitation chamber, each of said reflector means, anodes and cathodes being aligned along a longitudinal axis of said enclosure, support means for said anodes and cathodes, and power supply means connected to said magnetic field providing means and to said anodes and cathodes with each of said anodes and cathodes electrically connected in parallel so as to produce a potential difference therebetween, the improvement wherein each of said plurality of anodes is of a tubular configuration and defines therein an annular channel between an inner surface thereof and the longitudinal cavity axis and wherein said plurality of cathodes are each provided with an equal number of apertures therein, said apertures being equally spaced along an annular region defined on the cathode by said annular channel of said tubular anodes, said cathodes being positioned such that the pluralities of apertures are alIgned to define a plurality of light paths parallel to said longitudinal axis of said cavity and through said annular channels of the excitation chambers, whereby a plurality of light beams simultaneously traverse the annular channels of the excitation chambers wherein the optimum number of excited state gas particles are present thereby providing improved efficiency, stability and power output while reducing the overall length thereof.