Diode laser pumping

Claim 1

An apparatus for pumping a diode laser, which comprises: a capacitor; a first controlled switching means, the diode laser being connected to said capacitor via said first controlled switching means; and means for alternately charging the capacitor from a D.C. voltage source to a specific energy level and discharging the cApacitor through the diode laser by temporarily closing said first controlled switching means when said specific energy level of the capacitor has been reached, said means including: a pulse controlled transistor switching means; a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding and a feedback winding, the primary winding being connected to one terminal of the D.C. voltage source and the collector of the transistor, the secondary winding being connected to the capacitor via a unidirectional conducting means poled so that the transformer will be unloaded when the transistor is conducting, and the feedback winding being connected to the base of the transistor via a diode and to the other terminal of the D.C. voltage source for supplying control pulses to the transistor; means for providing transistor base supply; an emitter resistor connected between the emitter of the transistor and said other terminal of the D.C. voltage source thereby to provide a self oscillating circuit with the transistor becoming periodically conducting by said control pulses during a predetermined interval; and discharge control means for periodically causing said first controlled switching means to be closed temporarily while the transistor is conducting.

Claim 2

An apparatus for pumping a diode laser, which comprises: a capacitor; a first controlled switching means, the diode laser being connected to said capacitor via said first controlled switching means; and means for alternately charging the capacitor from a D.C. voltage source to a specific energy level and discharging the cApacitor through the diode laser by temporarily closing said first controlled switching means when said specific energy level of the capacitor has been reached, said means including: a pulse controlled transistor switching means; a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding and a feedback winding, the primary winding being connected to one terminal of the D.C. voltage source and the collector of the transistor, the secondary winding being connected to the capacitor via a unidirectional conducting means poled so that the transformer will be unloaded when the transistor is conducting, and the feedback winding being connected to the base of the transistor via a diode and to the other terminal of the D.C. voltage source for supplying control pulses to the transistor; means for providing transistor base supply; an emitter resistor connected between the emitter of the transistor and said other terminal of the D.C. voltage source thereby to provide a self oscillating circuit with the transistor becoming periodically conducting by said control pulses during a predetermined interval; and discharge control means for periodically causing said first controlled switching means to be closed temporarily while the transistor is conducting.

Claim 8

An apparatus for pumping a diode laser, which comprises: a capacitor; a first controlled switching means, the diode laser being connected to said capacitor via said first controlled switching means; and means for alternately charging the capacitor from a D.C. voltage source to a specific energy level and discharging the capacitor through the diode laser by temporarily closing said first controlled switching means when said specific energy level of the capacitor has been reached, said means including: a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding and a feedback winding, the primary winding being connected to the D.C. voltage source via a pulse controlled switching means and the secondary winding being connected to the capacitor via a unidirectional conducting means poled so that the transformer will be unloaded when said pulse controlled switching means is closed; means for applying control pulses to said pulse controlled switching means including a circuit for connecting said feedback winding to said pulse controlled switching means and to one of the terminals of the D.C. voltage source, so that periodically said pulse controlled switching means will be closed during a predetermined time interval; and discharge control means for periodically causing said first controlled switching means to be closed temporarily while said pulse controlled switching means is closed, said discharge control means including the transformer feedback winding and means for transmitting control pulses from said feedback winding to said first controlled switching means.

Claim 9

An apparatus for pumping a diode laser, which comprises: a capacitor; a first controlled switching means, the diode laser being connected to said capacitor via said first controlled switching means; and means for alternately charging the capacitor from a D.C. voltage source to a specific energy level and discharging the capacitor through the diode laser by temporarily closing said first controlled switching means when said specific energy level of the capacitor has been reached, said means including: a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding and a feedback winding, the primary winding being connected to the D.C. voltage source via a pulse controlled switching means and the secondary winding being connected to the capacitor via a unidirectional conducting means poled so that the transformer will be unloaded when said pulse controlled switching means is closed; means for applying control pulses to said pulse controlled switching means including a circuit for connecting said feedback winding to said pulse controlled switching means and to one of the terminals of the D.C. voltage source, so that periodically said pulse controlled switching means will be closed during a predetermined time interval; and discharge control means for periodically causing said first controlled switching means to be closed temporarily while said pulse controlled switching means is closed, said discharge control means including the transformer feedback winding and means for transmitting control pulses from said feedback winding to said first controlled switching means.

Claim 12

A method of pumping a diode laser comprising: storing a specific amount of energy in a transformer in the form of magnetic energy during a first time interval when a transformer primary winding charging circuit is in a current conducting condition; periodically interrupting the primary winding charging circuit by a first control signal generated in a circuit including a feedback winding on said transformer; transferring the stored magnetic energy from said transformer to a capacitor through a secondary winding on said transformer through a circuit including a unidirectional current conducting device poled so as to prevent current flow during the first time interval when the primary winding charging circuit is in a current conducting condition; and discharging said capacitor through said laser by an electronic switching element which is triggered to a conducting condition by a second control signal generated in a circuit including said feedback winding on said transformer, the length of said second control signal being much shorter than the length of said first control signal.

Claim 13

A method of pumping a diode laser comprising: storing a specific amount of energy in a transformer in the form of magnetic energy during a first time interval when a transformer primary winding charging circuit is in a current conducting condition; periodically interrupting the primary winding charging circuit by a first control signal generated in a circuit including a feedback winding on said transformer; transferring the stored magnetic energy from said transformer to a capacitor through a secondary winding on said transformer through a circuit including a unidirectional current conducting device poled so as to prevent current flow during the first time interval when the primary winding charging circuit is in a current conducting condition; and discharging said capacitor through said laser by an electronic switching element which is triggered to a conducting condition by a second control signal generated in a circuit including said feedback winding on said transformer, the length of said second control signal being much shorter than the length of said first control signal.

Claim 14

A method of pumping a diode laser comprising: providing a self oscillating circuit including a transistor having an emitter-collector circuit connected in series with a transformer primary winding and a D.C. voltage source; controlling the operation of said oscillating circuit by a first control signal pulse generated in a circuit including a feedback winding on said transformer and applied to the base of said transistor; charging a capacitor through a secondary winding on said transformer through a circuit including a unidirectional current conducting device poled so as to be non-conducting when current is passing through the transformer primary winding; discharging said capacitor through said laser by an electronic switching element containing a control electrode; generating a second control signal pulse for rendering said electronic switching element conductive through a circuit including said feedback winding on said transformer and a pulse narrowing circuit; and adjusting the amount of energy stored in said capacitor by varying the length of the first control signal pulses applied to said transistor base.

Claim 15

A method of pumping a diode laser comprising: providing a self oscillating circuit including a transistor having an emitter-collector circuit connected in series with a transformer primary winding and a D.C. voltage source; controlling the operation of said oscillating circuit by a first control signal pulse generated in a circuit including a feedback winding on said transformer and applied to the base of said transistor; charging a capacitor through a secondary winding on said transformer through a circuit including a unidirectional current conducting device poled so as to be non-conducting when current is passing through the transformer primary winding; discharging said capacitor through said laser by an electronic switching element containing a control electrode; generating a second control signal pulse for rendering said electronic switching element conductive through a circuit including said feedback winding on said transformer and a pulse narrowing circuit; and adjusting the amount of energy stored in said capacitor by varying the length of the first control signal pulses applied to said transistor base.