Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
199 words
A gas laser comprising: means for enclosing a gas laser medium; a rod of insulating material having a thermal coefficient of expansion in the range between +2 and -2 parts in 107 per degree centigrade and having a channel formed therein to define a gas discharge path in said gas laser medium, said channel having a pair of oppositely facing openings communicating with opposite ends of said rod; a pair of electrodes supported in communication with opposite end portions of said channel and insulated from each other for operation at different potentials to excite said gas laser medium to produce a population inversion therein; a pair of optical elements supported adjacent to the oppositely facing openings of said channel for at least partially reflecting said radiation produced by the population inverted medium in said channel to produce a coherent radiation beam; a tuning element supported between one end of said rod and one of said optical elements for controlling the spacing between said optical elements, said tuning element having a length in the axial direction between said optical elements equal to less than ten percent of the spacing between said optical elements; and means for energizing said tuning element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
199 words
A gas laser comprising: means for enclosing a gas laser medium; a rod of insulating material having a thermal coefficient of expansion in the range between +2 and -2 parts in 107 per degree centigrade and having a channel formed therein to define a gas discharge path in said gas laser medium, said channel having a pair of oppositely facing openings communicating with opposite ends of said rod; a pair of electrodes supported in communication with opposite end portions of said channel and insulated from each other for operation at different potentials to excite said gas laser medium to produce a population inversion therein; a pair of optical elements supported adjacent to the oppositely facing openings of said channel for at least partially reflecting said radiation produced by the population inverted medium in said channel to produce a coherent radiation beam; a tuning element supported between one end of said rod and one of said optical elements for controlling the spacing between said optical elements, said tuning element having a length in the axial direction between said optical elements equal to less than ten percent of the spacing between said optical elements; and means for energizing said tuning element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A gas laser as in claim 1 wherein one of said electrodes comprises a hollow cathode electrode completely supported upon and around said rod and in communication with one end portion of said channel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
105 words
A gas laser as in claim 2 wherein: said rod has a thermal coefficient of expansion in the range from +1 to -1 part in 107 per degree centigrade; said tuning element has a length in the axial direction between said optical elements equal to less than ten percent of the spacing between said optical elements; and means is supported around said rod between said electrodes for producing a magnetic field with an axial component in the direction of the beam of radiation produced by the gas discharge in said channel to produce a beam of radiation with two components of different frequency and polarization.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
63 words
A gas laser as in claim 1 wherein: said tuning element is responsive to a control signal for changing the spacing between said optical elements by as much in one direction as it changes in the opposite direction with temperature over the dynamic temperature range of the laser from the time the laser is turned on until it reaches its normal operating temperature.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
127 words
A frequency stabilized gas laser as in claim 4 wherein: said optical elements are supported against opposite ends of a spacing structure; and said tuning element is supported between one end of said spacing structure and one of said optical elements, the change in length with control signal of said tuning element being at least as great in said one direction as the combined change in length with temperature of said tuning element and said spacing structure in said opposite direction, and the rate of change in length with control signal of said tuning element also being at least as great in said one direction as the combined rate of change in length with temperature of said tuning element and said spacing structure in said opposite direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
160 words
A frEquency stabilized gas laser as in claim 5 wherein: said spacing structure comprises a rod of insulating material, said rod having a channel therein for defining the gas discharge path; said optical elements comprise a pair of mirrors supported against opposite ends of said rod adjacent to the oppositely facing ports of said gas discharge path; and said tuning element comprises a piezoelectric disc supported between one end of said rod and one of said mirrors, the change in length with voltage of said piezoelectric disc being at least as great in said one direction as the combined change in length with temperature of said piezoelectric disc and said rod in said opposite direction, and the rate of change in length with control signal of said tuning element also being at least as great in said one direction as the combined rate of change in length with temperature of said peizoelectric disc and said rod in said opposite direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
A frequency stabilized gas laser as in claim 6 wherein: said rod has a thermal coefficient of expansion in the range from +1 to -1 part in 107 per degree centigrade; and said piezoelectric disc has a length in the axial direction between said mirrors equal to less than ten percent of the spacing between said mirrors.