Gaseous flux laser oscillator

Claim 1

In a gaseous flux laser oscillator comprising: an elongated enclosure suitable for containing a gas capable of being excited by an electrical discharge so as to produce a population inversion therein; first and second electrodes arranged in the said enclosure and connected to a source of electric current so as to cause and maintain the said electrical discharge within the said gas; first and second mirrors arranged in the vicinity of the first and second ends of the said enclosure respectively, so as to constitute an optical resonant cavity suitable for generating a laser oscillation within the said gas when it is excited by the said electrical discharge; said first mirror being arranged inside said enclosure and drilled with a hole so as to enable a light beam resulting from the said laser oscillation to leave the said optical cavity therethrough; said enclosure being provided at its first end with a transparent port enabling said light beam leaving the optical cavity to leave that enclosure also; means for inserting and extracting said gas into and out of said enclosure, the improvement wherein: the edges of the said mirror are connected together in a fluidtight manner to the walls of said enclosure so as to constitute an insertion chamber within that enclosure and comprising said port; and said insertion means comprises a source of said gas to supply gas to said insertion chamber under pressure, conduit means connecting the gas source and insertion chamber for admitting the gas to said optical cavity through said hole drilled in the first mirror, and for forming a swirling flow in the space subjected to the said electrical discharge.