Inert gas metallic vapor laser

Claim 2

A laser comprising: first means adapted to receive at least one inert gas and metallic matter for producing a mixture definable as a gaseous lasant comprising of said inert gas and metallic vapor; a laser chamber; a pair of mirrors positioned in said laser chamber in two parallel mirror planes and spaced apart along an axis defining a cavity axis; first and second electrodes each including current discharge means spaced apart from one another and from said cavity axis in said laser chamber, the current discharge means of each of said electrodes being aligned in an imaginary plane including said cavity axis which is perpendicular to the mirror''s planes with the current discharge means of said electrodes equidistantly spaced from said cavity axis on opposite sides thereof, and together with said mirrors defining a laser cavity, at least said first electrode being comb-shaped and comprising a plurality of electrically conductive wires, each having a first end electrically connected to a common terminal and a second end defining an exposed wire tip, and means for holding portions of said wires so the exposed wire tips are equidistantly spaced from one another in a direction parallel to said cavity axis, with all the tips equidistantly spaced from said cavity axis, the tips of said wires representing the current discharge means of said first electrode, said wires being of equal length between their first and second ends; nozzle means in communication with said first means and said laser chamber for providing a communication path for the lasant in said first means into said laser chamber in a direction, whereby some lasant enters said laser chamber and at least some of it passes through said laser cavity; vacuum means for controlling the pressure in said laser chamber and for withdrawing the lasant passing through said laser chamber; a first electrode cover member having a top side, facing said second electrode and defining a slot in said top side, with all the tips of the wires of said first electrode being exposed to said second electrode through said slot, said tips being recessed below the tip side of said member to protect the tips from direct exposure in the path of the lasant passing through said laser cavity, said first cover member being of a material which exhibits high resistance to thermal shock; and power means coupled to said common terminal of said first electrode and to said second electrode for applying a current pulse to said electrodes when lasant passes through the laser cavity.

Claim 3

The laser as described in claim 1 wherein the lasant flows through said cavity at a selected speed, with said power means providing a sequence of pulses at a selected frequency to said electrodes, whereby as each pulse is applied fresh lasant passes through said cavity.

Claim 4

The laser as described in claim 1 wherein said first cover member material is boron nitride.

Claim 5

The laser as described in claiM 1 wherein each of the wires of said first electrode is a copper wire and the metallic vapor is copper vapor.

Claim 6

The laser as described in claim 1 wherein said second electrode is substantially identical to said first electrode, being comb-shaped with the tips of the wires of said second electrode representing the second electrode current discharge means, with the tips of the wires of both electrodes being in said imaginary plane and exposed to one another, said laser further including a second electrode cover member, substantially identical to said first electrode cover member, having a top side facing said first electrode and defining a slot through which the tips of the wires of said second electrode are exposed to the wire tips of said first electrode, the tips of the wires of said second electrode being recessed below the top side of said second electrode cover member to protect the tips of the wires of said second electrode from direct exposure to the lasant passing through said laser cavity.

Claim 7

The laser as described in claim 5 wherein said metallic vapor is copper vapor, the wires of at least one of the electrodes are copper wires and wherein at least one of said cover members is of boron nitride.

Claim 8

A laser comprising: a source of an inert gas; a heating chamber in communication with said source for receiving a flow of said inert gas at a selected rate from said source and for heating the inert gas to a selected temperature; a mixing chamber in communication with said heating chamber for receiving therefrom a flow of the inert gas heated therein, said mixing chamber including an inlet through which metallic powder is introduceable into said mixing chamber to be mixed therein with said heated inert gas; means including a plenum chamber and vaporizing means, which are in communication with said plenum chamber and said mixing chamber, with the mixture of the inert gas and metallic powder in said mixing chamber flowing through said vaporizing means, whereat said metallic powder is fully vaporized, with the inert gas and the metallic vapor, representing a lasant, exiting said vaporizing means into said plenum chamber, said vaporizing means comprises a bed of hot tungsten chips through which the mixture of the inert gas and the metallic powder passes, with the hot tungsten chips fully vaporizing said metallic powder, with the inert gas and the metallic vapor exiting said tungsten chips into said plenum chamber; a laser chamber; nozzle means extending from said plenum chamber to said laser chamber and defining a nozzle exit; vacuum means for controlling the pressure in said laser chamber whereby the lasant in said plenum chamber flows into said laser chamber through said nozzle exit as a lasant stream, and is evacuated out of said chamber by said vacuum means; a pair of laser mirrors spaced apart along an axis definable as a cavity axis; first and second spaced apart electrically conductive electrodes, each including current discharge means disposed in an imaginary plane containing said cavity axis and perpendicular to the lasant stream direction, said mirrors and said current discharge means defining a laser cavity through which said lasant flows, said first electrode being comb-shaped and comprising a plurality of electrically conductive wires, each having a first end electrically connected to a common terminal and a second end defining a tip, the tips of all the wires representing the electrode''s current discharge means, said electrode including means for holding said wires so that the wires'' tips are equidistantly spaced from one another in a direction parallel to said cavity axis along a length equal to the laser cavity length, with all the tips being equidistantly spaced from said cavity axis, all the wires being of equal length between their first and second ends; a first electrode cover member having a top side facing said second electrode and defining a slot in said top side, with all the tipS of the wires of said first electrode being exposed to said second electrode through said slot, said tips being recessed below the top side of said cover member to protect the tips from direct exposure to the path of the lasant passing through said laser cavity, said first cover member being of a material which exhibits high resistance to thermal shock; and power means electrically connected to said electrodes for applying a current pulse, dischargeable at said current discharge means as said lasant flows therebetween in said laser cavity.

Claim 9

A laser comprising: a source of an inert gas; a heating chamber in communication with said source for receiving a flow of said inert gas at a selected rate from said source and for heating the inert gas to a selected temperature; a mixing chamber in communication with said heating chamber for receiving therefrom a flow of the inert gas heated therein, said mixing chamber including an inlet through which metallic powder is introduceable into said mixing chamber to be mixed therein with said heated inert gas; means including a plenum chamber and vaporizing means, which are in communication with said plenum chamber and said mixing chamber, with the mixture of the inert gas and metallic powder in said mixing chamber flowing through said vaporizing means, whereat said metallic powder is fully vaporized, with the inert gas and the metallic vapor, representing a lasant, exiting said vaporizing means into said plenum chamber, said vaporizing means comprises a bed of hot tungsten chips through which the mixture of the inert gas and the metallic powder passes, with the hot tungsten chips fully vaporizing said metallic powder, with the inert gas and the metallic vapor exiting said tungsten chips into said plenum chamber; a laser chamber; nozzle means extending from said plenum chamber to said laser chamber and defining a nozzle exit; vacuum means for controlling the pressure in said laser chamber whereby the lasant in said plenum chamber flows into said laser chamber through said nozzle exit as a lasant stream, and is evacuated out of said chamber by said vacuum means; a pair of laser mirrors spaced apart along an axis definable as a cavity axis; first and second spaced apart electrically conductive electrodes, each including current discharge means disposed in an imaginary plane containing said cavity axis and perpendicular to the lasant stream direction, said mirrors and said current discharge means defining a laser cavity through which said lasant flows, said first electrode being comb-shaped and comprising a plurality of electrically conductive wires, each having a first end electrically connected to a common terminal and a second end defining a tip, the tips of all the wires representing the electrode''s current discharge means, said electrode including means for holding said wires so that the wires'' tips are equidistantly spaced from one another in a direction parallel to said cavity axis along a length equal to the laser cavity length, with all the tips being equidistantly spaced from said cavity axis, all the wires being of equal length between their first and second ends; a first electrode cover member having a top side facing said second electrode and defining a slot in said top side, with all the tipS of the wires of said first electrode being exposed to said second electrode through said slot, said tips being recessed below the top side of said cover member to protect the tips from direct exposure to the path of the lasant passing through said laser cavity, said first cover member being of a material which exhibits high resistance to thermal shock; and power means electrically connected to said electrodes for applying a current pulse, dischargeable at said current discharge means as said lasant flows therebetween in said laser cavity.

Claim 10

The laser as described in claim 7 wherein said cover member is of boron nitride.

Claim 11

The laser as described in claim 7 wherein said metallic powder is copper powder.

Claim 12

The laser as described in claim 9 wherein the wires of said first electrode are copper wires.