Transverse excitation system for gas laser using three electrodes

Claim 2

In a gas laser having a population inversion region for containing an active laser gas and having a longitudinal axis and means including a three electrode structure for the transverse excitation of the laser gas in said region for creating said population inversion, the improvement wherein said electrode structure comprises: an anode extending parallel to said longitudinal axis in said region, at least one uninsulated metal cathode pin positioned on the opposite side of said longitudinal axis from said anode and longitudinally extending in a direction toward said anode, a plasma forming electrode positioned fully between said anode and cathode pin and having an opening formed substantially in alignment with the longitudinally projecting cathode pin, said plasma forming electrode being positioned on the same side of said longitudinal axis as said cathode pin, the spacing between the cathode pin and the edges of the opening in said plasma forming electrode being much less than the distance between the plasma forming electrode and the anode, and wherein said population inversion means includes means for applying a high voltage pulse across said anode and cathode pin to cause a discharge between the cathode pin and plasma forming electrode and current limiting impedance between said plasma forming electrode and said anode operative in conjunction with said spacing between said cathode pin and the edges of the opening in said plasma forming electrode and the potential difference between said plasma forming electrode and anode resulting from said high voltage pulse for causing solely a diffuse plasma discharge between said plasma forming electrode and anode to excite said laser gas.

Claim 3

The improvement as in claim 1 wherein said impedance includes capacitance.

Claim 4

The improvement as in claim 1 wherein said impedance includes a resistance.

Claim 5

The improvement as in claim 1 wherein said plasma forming electrode is provided with a plurality of said openings and a plurality of cathode pins are provided respectively adjacent said openings on the opposite side of said plasma forming electrode as said anode and at a distance to cause said plasma discharge to exist.

Claim 6

In a carbon dioxide laser having a population inversion region for containing carbon dioxide as an active laser gas and having a longitudinal axis and means including a 3-electrode structure for the transverse excitation of said carbon dioxide gas in said region for creating said population invErsion, the improvement wherein said electrode structure comprises: an anode extending parallel to said longitudinal axis in said region, at least one uninsulated metal cathode pin positioned on the opposite side of said longitudinal axis from said anode and longitudinally extending in a direction toward said anode, a planar metallic plasma forming electrode positioned fully between said anode and cathode pin and having an opening formed substantially in alignment with the projecting cathode pin, said plasma forming electrode being positioned on the same side of said longitudinal axis as said cathode pin, the spacing between the cathode pin and the edges of the opening in said plasma forming electrode being much less than the distance between the plasma forming electrode and the anode, and wherein said population inversion means includes means for applying a high voltage pulse across said anode and cathode pin to cause a discharge between the cathode pin and plasma forming electrode and current limiting impedance between said plasma forming electrode and said anode operative in conjunction with said spacing between said cathode pin and the edges of the opening in said plasma forming electrode and the potential difference between said plasma forming electrode and anode resulting from said high voltage pulse for causing solely a diffuse plasma discharge between said plasma forming electrode and anode to excite said carbon dioxide gas.

Claim 7

In a carbon dioxide laser having a population inversion region for containing carbon dioxide as an active laser gas and having a longitudinal axis and means including a 3-electrode structure for the transverse excitation of said carbon dioxide gas in said region for creating said population invErsion, the improvement wherein said electrode structure comprises: an anode extending parallel to said longitudinal axis in said region, at least one uninsulated metal cathode pin positioned on the opposite side of said longitudinal axis from said anode and longitudinally extending in a direction toward said anode, a planar metallic plasma forming electrode positioned fully between said anode and cathode pin and having an opening formed substantially in alignment with the projecting cathode pin, said plasma forming electrode being positioned on the same side of said longitudinal axis as said cathode pin, the spacing between the cathode pin and the edges of the opening in said plasma forming electrode being much less than the distance between the plasma forming electrode and the anode, and wherein said population inversion means includes means for applying a high voltage pulse across said anode and cathode pin to cause a discharge between the cathode pin and plasma forming electrode and current limiting impedance between said plasma forming electrode and said anode operative in conjunction with said spacing between said cathode pin and the edges of the opening in said plasma forming electrode and the potential difference between said plasma forming electrode and anode resulting from said high voltage pulse for causing solely a diffuse plasma discharge between said plasma forming electrode and anode to excite said carbon dioxide gas.

Claim 8

The improvement as in claim 5 wherein said cathode pin is cylindrical, the opening in said plasma forming electrode is circular, is aligned with the axis of the cathode pin, and is chamfered at an angle approximately 45* on the side of said plasma forming electrode away from said cathode pin.

Claim 9

The improvement as in claim 6 wherein the diameter of said opening is greater than one-half of the diameter of said cathode pin.

Claim 10

The improvement as in claim 7 wherein said impedance includes capacitance.

Claim 11

The improvement as in claim 7 wherein said impedance includes a resistance.

Claim 12

The improvement as in claim 5 wherein said plasma forming electrode is provided with a plurality of said openings and a plurality of cathode pins are provided respectively adjacent said openings on the opposite side of said plasma forming electrode as said anode and at a distance to cause said plasma discharge to exist.

Claim 13

The improvement as in claim 5 wherein said impedance includes capacitance.

Claim 14

The improvement as in claim 5 wherein said impedance includes a resistance.

Claim 15

The improvement as in claim 5 wherein said anode is formed of aluminum.

Claim 16

The improvement as in claim 13 wherein said plasma forming electrode is formed of aluminum.