US4267525A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Recombination lasers with spatial variations in pumping
Assignee: AT&T Inc
•
Filing: 1979-04-06
•
Granted: 1981-05-12
•
Expires: 1999-04-06
Abstract
Abstract The small-signal gain from a recombination laser is increased by restricting the excitation of the laser amplifying medium to localized regions which are spatially separated from one another. The spatial separation between the regions of excitation provides for more efficient cooling of the plasma electrons in the excitation region and thereby increases the rate of recombination of these electrons with the ions of the laser amplifying medium. The efficient capture of electrons by ions enhances the population inversion of the laser transition in the laser amplifying medium.
Inventors
- 👤 William T. Silfvast
- 👤 Leo H. Szeto
- 👤 II Obert R. Wood
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 18:00
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/09; H01S3/091; H01S3/14; H01S3/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
A recombination laser comprising: a resonant laser cavity including means for extracting laser radiation; a laser amplifying medium; excitation means for producing an ionized laser amplifying medium in said resonant laser cavity; and a background gas in said resonant laser cavity for deenergizing electrons obtained from the ionization of said laser amplifying medium, whereby said electrons recombine with the ions of said laser amplifying medium to produce a population inversion in said laser amplifying medium; characterized in that said excitation means is a means for generating a plurality of localized regions of ionized laser amplifying medium, each one of which localized regions is separated from the other regions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
108 words
A recombination laser comprising: a resonant laser cavity including means for extracting laser radiation; a laser amplifying medium; excitation means for producing an ionized laser amplifying medium in said resonant laser cavity; and a background gas in said resonant laser cavity for deenergizing electrons obtained from the ionization of said laser amplifying medium, whereby said electrons recombine with the ions of said laser amplifying medium to produce a population inversion in said laser amplifying medium; characterized in that said excitation means is a means for generating a plurality of localized regions of ionized laser amplifying medium, each one of which localized regions is separated from the other regions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
69 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said excitation means comprises a source of laser radiation for producing laser radiation and a mask having apertures for producing spatially separate resultant beams of laser radiation in response to laser radiation from said source impinging upon said mask, which spatially separate resultant beams impinge upon said laser amplifying medium to produce said plurality of localized regions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 2 wherein said source is a CO 2 laser.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 2 wherein said source is a Nd:YAG laser.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 3 wherein said laser amplifying medium is xenon and said background gas is helium.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
78 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said excitation means comprises a source of laser radiation for producing laser radiation and reflecting surface means being reflective to laser radiation from said source for producing spatially separate resultant beams of laser radiation in response to laser radiation from said source impinging upon said reflecting surface means, which spatially separate resultant beams impinge upon said laser amplifying medium to produce said plurality of localized regions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
70 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said excitation means comprises a source of laser radiation for producing laser radiation and light guide means for producing spatially separate resultant beams of laser radiation in response to laser radiation from said source impinging upon said light guide means, which spatially separate resultant beams impinge upon said laser amplifying medium to produce said plurality of localized regions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
70 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said excitation means comprises a source of laser radiation for producing laser radiation and a thick hologram means for producing separate resultant beams of laser radiation in response to laser radiation from said source impinging upon said thick hologram means, which spatially separate resultant beams impinge upon said laser amplifying medium to produce said plurality of localized regions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
79 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said excitation means comprises a source of laser radiation for producing laser radiation and a diffraction grating operated in the Raman-Nath mode for producing spatially separate resultant beams of laser radiation in response to laser radiation from said source impinging upon said diffraction grating operated in the Raman-Nath mode, which spatially separate resultant beams impinge upon said laser amplifying medium to produce said plurality of localized regions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
68 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said excitation means comprises a source of particles for producing a beam of particles and a mask for producing spatially separate resultant beams of particles in response to said beam of particles impinging upon said mask, which spatially separate resultant beams of particles impinge upon said laser amplifying medium to produce said plurality of localized regions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 10 wherein said source of particles is a source of electrons.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
67 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said excitation means comprises a multiplicity of sources of laser radiation, each one of which sources produces a beam of laser radiation which is spatially separate from each other beam of laser radiation, which multiplicity of spatially separate beams of laser radiation impinge upon said laser amplifying medium to produce said plurality of localized regions.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
117 words
A recombination laser comprising: a resonant laser cavity including means for extracting laser radiation; a laser amplifying medium; excitation means for producing an ionized laser amplifying medium in said resonant laser cavity; and a background gas in said resonant laser cavity for deenergizing electrons obtained from the ionization of said laser amplifying medium whereby said electrons recombine with the ions of said laser amplifying medium to produce a population inversion in said laser amplifying medium; characterized in that said laser amplifying medium is disposed in regions which are separated from one another, whereby a plurality of localized regions of ionized laser amplifying medium is generated, each one of which localized regions is separated from the other regions.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
117 words
A recombination laser comprising: a resonant laser cavity including means for extracting laser radiation; a laser amplifying medium; excitation means for producing an ionized laser amplifying medium in said resonant laser cavity; and a background gas in said resonant laser cavity for deenergizing electrons obtained from the ionization of said laser amplifying medium whereby said electrons recombine with the ions of said laser amplifying medium to produce a population inversion in said laser amplifying medium; characterized in that said laser amplifying medium is disposed in regions which are separated from one another, whereby a plurality of localized regions of ionized laser amplifying medium is generated, each one of which localized regions is separated from the other regions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 13 wherein said excitation means comprises a source of particles for producing a uniform beam of particles.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 14 wherein said source of particles is a source of electrons.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 14 wherein said laser amplifying medium comprises a thin film of alternating stripes of a laser amplifying material and an ablation resistant material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 13 wherein said excitation means comprises a laser source of radiation for producing a uniform beam of laser radiation.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
The recombination laser as defined in claim 17 wherein said laser amplifying medium comprises a thin film of alternating stripes of a laser amplifying material and an ablation resistant material.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3711785A
Cited
US3711790A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-05-11 | 1984-11-10 | 1985-05-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-05-11 | 1988-11-10 | 1989-05-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-05-11 | 1992-11-10 | 1993-05-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |