Method and apparatus for operating laser

Claim 2

A laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency, means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs, means for regeneratively feeding a portion of said light energy back to said medium, and means for varying the regenerative energy fed back to said medium between a first regenerative condition which precludes laser oscillation and a second regenerative condition which permits laser oscillation.

Claim 3

A laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency, means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs, means for regeneratively feeding a portion of said light energy back to said medium, and means for varying the regenerative energy fed back to said medium between a first regenerative condition in which substantially no regeneration of said light energy occurs and a second regenerative condition in which high regeneration of said light energy occurs whereby laser oscillation is achieved.

Claim 4

A laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency, means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs, means for regeneratively feeding a portion of said light energy back to said medium, and means for varying the regenerative energy fed back to said medium between a first regenerative condition in which substantially no regeneration of said light energy occurs and a second regenerative condition in which high regeneration of said light energy occurs whereby laser oscillation is achieved.

Claim 5

A laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency, means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs, said medium being such that said light energy is polarized in a predetermined plane, reflecting means for reflecting a portion of said light energy back to said medium, polarizer means disposed in the path of said light energy between said medium and said reflecting means for substantially precluding light energy polarized in a preselected plane from returning to said medium without substantially affecting light energy polarized in a plane perpendicular to said preselected plane, said polarizer means being oriented such that said preselected plane and said predetermined plane bear a desired angular relationship to one another, and means disposed in said path between said medium and said reflecting means for altering the plane of polarization of the light energy traveling along said path.

Claim 6

A laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency, means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs, said medium being such that said light energy is polarized in a predetermined plane, reflecting means for reflecting a portion of said light energy back to said medium, polarizer means disposed in the path of said light energy between said medium and said reflecting means for substantially precluding light energy polarized in a preselected plane from returning to said medium without substantially affecting light energy polarized in a plane perpendicular to said preselected plane, said polarizer means being oriented such that said preselected plane and said predetermined plane bear a desired angular relationship to one another, and means disposed in said path between said medium and said reflecting means for altering the plane of polarization of the light energy traveling along said path.

Claim 7

A giant pulse laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency and wherein the Lifetime of the upper one of said energy levels is sufficiently long to permit a substantial excess population inversion to develop when said medium is pumped under a condition of low regeneration, means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs, means for regeneratively feeding a portion of said light energy back to said medium, and means for controlling the regenerative energy fed back to said medium to first provide a first regenerative condition insufficient to achieve laser oscillation and to subsequently provide a second regenerative condition sufficient to cause said medium to emit a pulse of light having a peak power substantiially greater than that which would have been emitted if said first regenerative condition were not previously provided.

Claim 8

A giant pulse laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency and wherein the Lifetime of the upper one of said energy levels is sufficiently long to permit a substantial excess population inversion to develop when said medium is pumped under a condition of low regeneration, means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs, means for regeneratively feeding a portion of said light energy back to said medium, and means for controlling the regenerative energy fed back to said medium to first provide a first regenerative condition insufficient to achieve laser oscillation and to subsequently provide a second regenerative condition sufficient to cause said medium to emit a pulse of light having a peak power substantiially greater than that which would have been emitted if said first regenerative condition were not previously provided.

Claim 9

A giant pulse laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency and wherein the lifetime of the upper one of said energy levels is sufficiently long to permit a substantial excess population inversion to develop when said medium is pumped under a condition of low regeneration, means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs, means for regeneratively feeding a portion of said light energy back to said medium, and means for controlling the regenerative energy fed back to said medium to first provide a first regenerative condition in which little regeneration of said light energy occurs and to subsequently provide a second regenerative condition in which high regeneration of said light energy occurs to cause said medium to emit a pulse of light having a peak power substantially greater than that which would have been emitted if said first regenerative condition were not previously provided.

Claim 10

A giant pulse laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency and wherein the lifetime of the upper one of said energy levels is sufficiently long to permit a substantial excess population inversion to develop when said medium is pumped under a condition of low regeneration, means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs, means for regeneratively feeding a portion of said light energy back to said medium, and means for controlling the regenerative energy fed back to said medium to first provide a first regenerative condition in which little regeneration of said light energy occurs and to subsequently provide a second regenerative condition in which high regeneration of said light energy occurs to cause said medium to emit a pulse of light having a peak power substantially greater than that which would have been emitted if said first regenerative condition were not previously provided.

Claim 11

A giant pulse laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency and wherein the lifetime of the upper one of said energy levels is sufficiently long to permit a substantial excess population inversion to develop when said medium is pumped under a condition of low regeneration, means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs, means for regeneratively feeding a portion of said light energy back to said medium, and means for controlling the regenerative energy fed back to said medium to first provide a first regenerative condition in which substantially no regeneration of said light energy occurs and to subsequently provide a second regenerative condition in which high regeneration of said light energy occurs to cause said medium to emit a pulse of light having a peak power substantially greater than that which would have been emitted if said first regenerative condition were not previously provided.

Claim 12

A giant pulse laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency and wherein the lifetime of the upper one of said energy levels is sufficiently long to permit a substantial excess population inversion to develop when said medium is pumped under a condition of low regeneration, means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs, means for regeneratively feeding a portion of said light energy back to said medium, and means for controlling the regenerative energy fed back to said medium to first provide a first regenerative condition in which substantially no regeneration of said light energy occurs and to subsequently provide a second regenerative condition in which high regeneration of said light energy occurs to cause said medium to emit a pulse of light having a peak power substantially greater than that which would have been emitted if said first regenerative condition were not previously provided.

Claim 13

A giant pulse laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency and wherein the lifetime of the upper one of said energy levels is sufficiently long to permit a substantial excess population inversion to develop when said medium is pumped under a condition of low regeneration; means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs; reflecting means for reflecting a portion of said light energy back to said medium; and means for controlling the light energy fed back to said medium to first substantially prevent regeneration of said light energy and thereby enable energy storage to occur in said medium, and to subsequEntly provide high regeneration of said light energy to cause said medium to emit a pulse of light having a peak power substantially greater than that which would have been emitted in the absence of said energy storage.

Claim 14

A giant pulse laser device comprising: a medium capable of being excited to a condition in which population inversion occurs between a pair of energy levels having an energy separation corresponding to a light frequency and wherein the lifetime of the upper one of said energy levels is sufficiently long to permit a substantial excess population inversion to develop when said medium is pumped under a condition of low regeneration; means for pumping said medium to said condition of population inversion whereby stimulated emission of light energy at said frequency occurs; reflecting means for reflecting a portion of said light energy back to said medium; and means for controlling the light energy fed back to said medium to first substantially prevent regeneration of said light energy and thereby enable energy storage to occur in said medium, and to subsequEntly provide high regeneration of said light energy to cause said medium to emit a pulse of light having a peak power substantially greater than that which would have been emitted in the absence of said energy storage.