Method and apparatus for generating coherent near 14 and near 16 micron radiation

Claim 1

A method for producing coherent radiation in CO 2 vibrational-rotational transitions at wavelengths near 14 and near 16 microns composed of the steps of: passing a gaseous mixture of N 2 and Ar through a glow discharge region producing a high vibrational temperature in the N 2 while maintaining a relatively low gas temperature, passing the mixture through a nozzle bank causing a flow thereof at supersonic speed, injecting precooled CO 2 into the supersonic flow creating an interaction zone wherein the precooled CO 2 mixes with the translationally cooled N 2 -- Ar mixture causing pumping of the CO 2 , and directing a saturating pulse of radiation selected from the group consisting of near 10.6 microns and near 9.6 microns through the interaction zone creating a population inversion and thereby producing a gain in the near 14 micron wavelength when the saturating pulse of radiation is near 10.6 microns and in the near 16 micron wavelength when the saturating pulse of radiation is near 96 microns.

Claim 2

A method for producing coherent radiation in CO 2 vibrational-rotational transitions at wavelengths near 14 and near 16 microns composed of the steps of: passing a gaseous mixture of N 2 and Ar through a glow discharge region producing a high vibrational temperature in the N 2 while maintaining a relatively low gas temperature, passing the mixture through a nozzle bank causing a flow thereof at supersonic speed, injecting precooled CO 2 into the supersonic flow creating an interaction zone wherein the precooled CO 2 mixes with the translationally cooled N 2 -- Ar mixture causing pumping of the CO 2 , and directing a saturating pulse of radiation selected from the group consisting of near 10.6 microns and near 9.6 microns through the interaction zone creating a population inversion and thereby producing a gain in the near 14 micron wavelength when the saturating pulse of radiation is near 10.6 microns and in the near 16 micron wavelength when the saturating pulse of radiation is near 96 microns.

Claim 7

An apparatus for generating coherent near 14 and near 16 micron radiation comprising: a first plenum, a second plenum, said first and second plenums being interconnected by a nozzle bank capable of producing a supersonic speed of fluid flowing from said first plenum into said second plenum, electrode means located in said first plenum for creating an electrical glow discharge region therein, said nozzle bank being composed of a plurality of contoured nozzles each having a plurality of injection slots therein; said second plenum being provided with a pair of oppositely located windows, a pair of mirrors positioned external of said second plenum and in spaced relation with respect to said windows, Q-switched laser means capable of producing near 10.6 micron or near 9.6 micron radiation located external of said plenums, means for directing radiation from said laser means through said window means into said second plenum, means for directing a first gas selected from the group consisting of N 2 and N 2 -Ar into said first plenum, and means for directing a second gas composed of precooled CO 2 through said injection slots of said nozzles, whereby the first gas is passed through said glow discharge region producing a high vibrational temperature in the gas while maintaining a relatively low gas temperature whereafter the gas is passed through said nozzle bank creating a supersonic flow into which the second gas is injected through said injector slots creating an interaction zone in said second plenum intermediate said windows where the precooled second gas mixes with the translationally cooled first gas whereby vibrational modes of the second gas rapidly equilibrate with the vibrational excited first gas leading to pumping of the second gas whereupon a saturating pulse of radiation from said laser means is directed through said second gas creating a population inversion resulting in an output gain.

Claim 8

An apparatus for generating coherent near 14 and near 16 micron radiation comprising: a first plenum, a second plenum, said first and second plenums being interconnected by a nozzle bank capable of producing a supersonic speed of fluid flowing from said first plenum into said second plenum, electrode means located in said first plenum for creating an electrical glow discharge region therein, said nozzle bank being composed of a plurality of contoured nozzles each having a plurality of injection slots therein; said second plenum being provided with a pair of oppositely located windows, a pair of mirrors positioned external of said second plenum and in spaced relation with respect to said windows, Q-switched laser means capable of producing near 10.6 micron or near 9.6 micron radiation located external of said plenums, means for directing radiation from said laser means through said window means into said second plenum, means for directing a first gas selected from the group consisting of N 2 and N 2 -Ar into said first plenum, and means for directing a second gas composed of precooled CO 2 through said injection slots of said nozzles, whereby the first gas is passed through said glow discharge region producing a high vibrational temperature in the gas while maintaining a relatively low gas temperature whereafter the gas is passed through said nozzle bank creating a supersonic flow into which the second gas is injected through said injector slots creating an interaction zone in said second plenum intermediate said windows where the precooled second gas mixes with the translationally cooled first gas whereby vibrational modes of the second gas rapidly equilibrate with the vibrational excited first gas leading to pumping of the second gas whereupon a saturating pulse of radiation from said laser means is directed through said second gas creating a population inversion resulting in an output gain.