Gas laser

Claim 1

A traveling wave transmission line system for excitation of a laser having an active laser medium, comprising: a flat electric line comprising a first metal plate (22, 23, 257, 2585, 305, 3065) and a second metal plate (21, 259, 2605, 302) which are parallel and separated from each other by an insulating layer (20, 250, 300), at least said first metal plate being provided with a rectilinear slot (30, 253, 303) separating it into a first part (22, 257, 305) and a second part (23, 2585, 3065), said first part being formed as a parabola with an axis of symmetry at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said channel, a voltage generator (1000) producing different voltages on said plates, excitation means (33, 34) for producing at the focus of said parabola a rapid electric discharge between the first part of said first plate and said second plate so as to produce in this line a progressive and plane electric discharge wave encountering said slot, means for containing an active gaseous medium in said slot; and characterized in that a plurality of small metal plates (258, 2582, 2583, 2584, 3061, 3062, 3063, 3064) are disposed between said second plate 2605, 302) and said second part (2585, 3065) of the first plate these small plates being parallel to said fIrst and second plates and separated one from the other and from said first and second plates by insulating layers so as to form a stack, the height of which is substantially coextensive with the thickness of said first part (257, 305) of the first plate, said second part of said first plate constituting a first small plate of this stack, said small plates and the insulating layers situated between these small plates being confined to one side of said slot (253, 303) so that they do not reach said first part of the first plate on the other side of said slot, said slot extending substantially over the height of said stack, said voltage generator (1000) producing a first voltage on said first small plate (2585, 3065), a second voltage on said second small plate (2584, 3064), said first voltage on the third of said plates (2583, 3063) and so on, said first and second voltages being produced on the plates in the odd rows and even rows respectively, this first and second voltage being selected in such a way that when said discharge wave reaches said slot (253, 303), a discharge is produced across this slot between said first part of the first plate (257, 305) and said small plates in the odd rows (2585, 3065, 2583, 2581, 3063, 3061).