US4228408A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pulsed cyclic laser based on dissociative excitation
Assignee: Fujifilm Holdings Corp
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Filing: 1978-10-23
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Granted: 1980-10-14
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Expires: 1998-10-23
Abstract
Abstract A pulsed laser produces emitted laser energy by dissociative excitation ofetal dihalide and cyclic recombination. A metal dihalide selected from subgroup II-B of the periodic table of elements is contained within an elongate sealed enclosure. Two elongate electrodes having external terminals are supported in parallel relationship within the enclosure, forming a gap parallel to the principal axis of the enclosure. A source of pulsed electric power is connected to the terminals of the two electrodes, producing repetitive transverse electric discharges across the gap. An inert buffer gas is included within the enclosure for aiding electric discharge uniformity, and to provide vibrational relaxation of the lasing medium in its electronic states. The buffer gas is ionized by a third electrode within the enclosure connected to a source of pulses which immediately precede the pulses applied to the first and second electrode so that the lasing medium is preionized immediately prior to the principal electric discharge. Two reflective surfaces, one of which is only partially reflective, are aligned with the principal axis of the laser assembly for producing an optical resonator for the emitted laser energy.
Inventors
- 👤 Erhard J. Schimitschek
- 👤 John E. Celto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 04:38
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/09; H01S3/097; H01S3/0971; H01S3/09713; H01S3/14; H01S3/22; H01S3/223; H01S3/225
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 40
Claim 1
Independent Claim
196 words
A pulsed laser for producing emitted laser energy by dissociative excitation in an electric discharge of metal dihalides and their cyclic recombination comprising: a sealed enclosure; first and second electrodes having external terminals and supported within said sealed enclosure for forming a gap therebetween; a source of pulsed electrical power connected to said terminals for producing a uniform electric discharge across said gap at pressures optimized for the lasing process; a metal dihalide selected from subgroup II-B of the periodic table of elements and contained within said enclosure; means for maintaining said metal dihalide in a vaporized state; a buffer gas contained within said sealed enclosure and selected for aiding electric discharge uniformity and for aiding in the dissociative excitation of the lasing medium and to provide vibrational relaxation of the lasing medium in its electronic states; means disposed within said sealed enclosure for preionizing the lasing medium within said enclosure in response to pulses of electrical power cyclically applied in synchronism immediately prior to the pulses produced by said source of pulsed electrical power; and two reflective surfaces disposed and aligned relative to said sealed enclosure for producing optical feedback for the emitted laser energy.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
196 words
A pulsed laser for producing emitted laser energy by dissociative excitation in an electric discharge of metal dihalides and their cyclic recombination comprising: a sealed enclosure; first and second electrodes having external terminals and supported within said sealed enclosure for forming a gap therebetween; a source of pulsed electrical power connected to said terminals for producing a uniform electric discharge across said gap at pressures optimized for the lasing process; a metal dihalide selected from subgroup II-B of the periodic table of elements and contained within said enclosure; means for maintaining said metal dihalide in a vaporized state; a buffer gas contained within said sealed enclosure and selected for aiding electric discharge uniformity and for aiding in the dissociative excitation of the lasing medium and to provide vibrational relaxation of the lasing medium in its electronic states; means disposed within said sealed enclosure for preionizing the lasing medium within said enclosure in response to pulses of electrical power cyclically applied in synchronism immediately prior to the pulses produced by said source of pulsed electrical power; and two reflective surfaces disposed and aligned relative to said sealed enclosure for producing optical feedback for the emitted laser energy.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reflective surfaces are supported on the end plate windows of said sealed enclosure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reflective surfaces are disposed and supported outside said sealed enclosure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said reflective surfaces comprises a dispersive optical element such as a grating for tuning the wavelength of the output of said laser.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
As a laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said buffer gas is a mixture of selected gases.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said buffer gas is chosen from the group of helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and nitrogen.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said buffer gas is a mixture of gases chosen from the group of helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and nitrogen.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is comprised of a mercury dihalide.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is comprised of a zinc dihalide.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is comprised of a cadmium dihalide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is mercuric bromide.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is mercuric chloride.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is mercuric iodide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is a mixed dihalide.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is mercuric bromo iodide.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is mercuric chloro bromide.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is mercuric chloro iodide.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is zinc bromide.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is zinc chloride.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is zinc iodide.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is cadmium bromide.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is cadmium chloride.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
14 words
A laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metal dihalide is cadmium iodide.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
221 words
A pulsed laser for producing emitted laser energy by dissociative excitation in an electric discharge of metal dihalides and their cyclic recombination comprising: a sealed enclosure; first and second elongate electrodes having external terminals and supported in parallel relationship within said sealed enclosure for forming a gap therebetween along the principal axis of said sealed enclosure; a source of pulsed electrical power connected to said terminals for producing repetitive, uniform, transverse electric discharges across said gap at pressures optimized for the lasing process; a metal dihalide selected from subgroup II-B of the periodic table of elements and contained within said enclosure; a heat source for maintaining said metal dihalide in a vaporized state; a substantially inert buffer gas contained within said sealed enclosure and selected for aiding electric discharge uniformity and for aiding in the collisional excitation of the lasing medium and to provide vibrational relaxation of the lasing medium in its electronic states; means disposed within said sealed enclosure for preionizing the lasing medium within said enclosure in response to pulses of electrical power cyclically applied in synchronism immediately prior to the pulses produced by said source of pulsed electrical power; and a reflective surface and a partially reflective surface disposed in alignment with the principal axis of said sealed enclosure for producing optical feedback for the emitted laser energy.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
221 words
A pulsed laser for producing emitted laser energy by dissociative excitation in an electric discharge of metal dihalides and their cyclic recombination comprising: a sealed enclosure; first and second elongate electrodes having external terminals and supported in parallel relationship within said sealed enclosure for forming a gap therebetween along the principal axis of said sealed enclosure; a source of pulsed electrical power connected to said terminals for producing repetitive, uniform, transverse electric discharges across said gap at pressures optimized for the lasing process; a metal dihalide selected from subgroup II-B of the periodic table of elements and contained within said enclosure; a heat source for maintaining said metal dihalide in a vaporized state; a substantially inert buffer gas contained within said sealed enclosure and selected for aiding electric discharge uniformity and for aiding in the collisional excitation of the lasing medium and to provide vibrational relaxation of the lasing medium in its electronic states; means disposed within said sealed enclosure for preionizing the lasing medium within said enclosure in response to pulses of electrical power cyclically applied in synchronism immediately prior to the pulses produced by said source of pulsed electrical power; and a reflective surface and a partially reflective surface disposed in alignment with the principal axis of said sealed enclosure for producing optical feedback for the emitted laser energy.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
A laser as claimed in claim 24 wherein said heat source comprises an oven substantially enclosing said sealed enclosure.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
A laser as claimed in claim 24 wherein said heat source maintains said sealed enclosure at a temperature of the order of 150° C.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
A laser as claimed in claim 24 wherein the operative vapor pressure of said metal dihalide is of the order of 2 to 3 torr.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
25 words
A laser as claimed in claim 24 wherein the operative vapor pressure of said substantially inert buffer gas is of the order of 1000 torr.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
39 words
A laser as claimed in claim 24 wherein said means disposed within said sealed enclosure for preionizing the lasing medium comprises a third elongate electrode coated with an insulating material and disposed parallel to said first and second electrodes.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
39 words
A laser as claimed in claim 24 wherein said means disposed within said sealed enclosure for preionizing the laser medium comprises a multiple gap flash means with its multiple gap axis aligned parallel to said first and second electrodes.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
23 words
A laser as claimed in claim 24 wherein said means disposed within said sealed enclosure for preionizing the laser medium comprises a flashboard.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
33 words
A laser as claimed in claim 24 wherein said means disposed within said sealed enclosure for preionizing the laser medium comprises multiple conductors aligned with gaps therebetween and supported on an electrical insulator.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
137 words
A method of producing laser energy by dissociative excitation by electrical discharge comprising the steps of: selecting a metal dihalide from the subgroup II-B of the periodic table of elements; containing the selected metal dihalide within a sealed enclosure having transparent windows at opposite ends of its principal axis; maintaining the selected metal dihalide in a vaporized state; preionizing the lasing medium within said enclosure in response to pulses of electrical power applied in synchronism immediately prior to pulsed electric discharges between a pair of electrodes; pulsing electric discharges between a pair of electrodes across the principal axis of said enclosure to initiate the emission of laser energy; and disposing a reflective surface and a partially reflective surface in alignment with the principal axis of said sealed enclosure for producing optical feedback for the emitted laser energy.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
137 words
A method of producing laser energy by dissociative excitation by electrical discharge comprising the steps of: selecting a metal dihalide from the subgroup II-B of the periodic table of elements; containing the selected metal dihalide within a sealed enclosure having transparent windows at opposite ends of its principal axis; maintaining the selected metal dihalide in a vaporized state; preionizing the lasing medium within said enclosure in response to pulses of electrical power applied in synchronism immediately prior to pulsed electric discharges between a pair of electrodes; pulsing electric discharges between a pair of electrodes across the principal axis of said enclosure to initiate the emission of laser energy; and disposing a reflective surface and a partially reflective surface in alignment with the principal axis of said sealed enclosure for producing optical feedback for the emitted laser energy.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method of producing laser energy by dissociative excitation by electric discharge as claimed in claim 33 including the step of providing said reflective surface in the form of a dispersive optical element such as an optical grating for rendering the laser energy output tunable.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method of producing laser energy by dissociative excitation by electric discharge as claimed in claim 33 including the step of containing a buffer gas within said enclosure for aiding electric discharge uniformity and providing vibrational relaxation of the lasing medium in its electronic states.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method of producing laser energy by dissociative excitation by electric discharge as claimed in claim 33 wherein the electric discharge is caused to be repetitive.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method of producing laser energy by dissociative excitation by electric discharge as claimed in claim 36 including the step of applying electrical pulses within said sealed enclosure for preionizing the lasing medium in synchronism with and immediately prior to the repetitive electric discharges.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4168475A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-10-14 | 1984-04-14 | 1984-10-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-10-14 | 1988-04-14 | 1988-10-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-10-14 | 1992-04-14 | 1992-10-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |