Magnetically compensated cross field flowing gas laser

Claim 1

In a flowing gas laser of the type in which electrical power is coupled into the gas flowing through an optical gain region through electron collisions within an electric discharge plasma established in the optical gain region, an optical output power is coupled from the optical gain region, the comprising comprising: means for establishing an optical gain region which has an optical axis therethrough; means for providing a flow of a gas mixture including a lasing gas through said optical gain region in a direction transverse to the axis; means for establishing an electric discharge plasma within said optical gain region, the electric field of said plasma being transverse to the flow of gases through said optical gain region; and means for establishing a magnetic field in said optical gain region, the flux lines of the magnetic field being transverse with respect to both said flow of gases and with respect to said electric field, and oriented in a direction to generate a force, on electrons in the plasma drifting from the cathode to the anode which is opposite to the direction of gas flow through said optical gain region for compensating for flow field effects which tend to blow the electric discharge plasma downstream.