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US4050034A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

In cavity pumping for infrared laser

Assignee: United States Department of the Air Force
•
Filing: 1975-04-30
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Granted: 1977-09-20
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Expires: 1995-04-30
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Abstract

Abstract A far infrared laser having a CO 2 laser gas cell located in the same optical cavity as the far infrared cell. The CO 2 gas is made to flow through the CO 2 cell within the laser cavity and the far infrared gas is made to flow in the far infrared cell within the laser cavity. The current is supplied between a pair of electrodes in the CO 2 cell to excite the CO 2 gas. The far infrared molecules are pumped by optical energy transfer from the CO 2 laser radiation. The infrared radiation is removed by an aperture in one of the mirrors and a far infrared transparent window.

Inventors

  • 👤 James D. Barry
  • 👤 Joseph E. Brandelik

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 08:10
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/14; H01S3/22; H01S3/223; H01S3/09; H01S3/091; H01S3/094; H01S3/23; H01S3/2375

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 176 words
A far infrared gas laser, comprising: an optical laser cavity; means for containing lasing gas within said optical laser cavity; said means for containing lasing gas within said optical laser cavity including a first cell in a first portion of said optical laser cavity and a second cell, in another portion of said optical laser cavity, connected to said first cell; said first cell containing far infrared lasing gas molecules; means for providing a flow of CO 2 laser gas through said second cell; means for maintaining a separation of said far infrared gas molecules and said CO 2 gas; means for electrically exciting the CO 2 molecules to provide a population inversion in the CO 2 gas to produce intense circulating CO 2 laser radiation within said optical laser cavity said CO 2 radiation being absorbed by the far infrared molecules to optically excite the far infrared molecules to produce a population inversion therein to provide a circulating far infrared radiation within said optical cavity; means for extracting far infrared laser energy from said cavity.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 176 words
A far infrared gas laser, comprising: an optical laser cavity; means for containing lasing gas within said optical laser cavity; said means for containing lasing gas within said optical laser cavity including a first cell in a first portion of said optical laser cavity and a second cell, in another portion of said optical laser cavity, connected to said first cell; said first cell containing far infrared lasing gas molecules; means for providing a flow of CO 2 laser gas through said second cell; means for maintaining a separation of said far infrared gas molecules and said CO 2 gas; means for electrically exciting the CO 2 molecules to provide a population inversion in the CO 2 gas to produce intense circulating CO 2 laser radiation within said optical laser cavity said CO 2 radiation being absorbed by the far infrared molecules to optically excite the far infrared molecules to produce a population inversion therein to provide a circulating far infrared radiation within said optical cavity; means for extracting far infrared laser energy from said cavity.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 110 words
The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining a separation of said far infrared gas molecules and said CO 2 gas includes, means, connected at the junction of said first cell and said second cell, for pumping gas from said first cell and from said second cell; said means for providing a flow of CO 2 laser gas through said second cell including means for supplying a CO 2 laser gas mixture to the second cell at a position remote from gas pumping means and means for supplying the far infrared gas molecules to said first cell at a position remote from said gas pumping means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 70 words
The device as recited in claim 2 wherein said far infrared gas molecules are of compounds selected from the group consisting of C 2 H 2 F 2 , C 2 H 4 F 2 , CH 3 OH, CH 3 Cl, CH 3 CH 2 F, CH 3 CHF 2 , CH 3 CHF 3 , CH 3 CN, CH 3 CCN, HCOOH, NH 3 and H 2 C:CHCl.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3704428A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1980-09-19 1981-03-21 1981-09-20 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1984-09-19 1985-03-21 1985-09-20 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1988-09-19 1989-03-21 1989-09-20 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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